This is a really pretty example of a fairly crude Confederate bullet. The .54 caliber "Selma" bullet is so-called because it was thought to have been manufactured at the Selma arsenal. This is almost certainly not the case but when Mac Mason and Reid McKee were putting the first bullet book together, they did the best they could with what little information they have. It's now thought this particular bullet was produced in or near Richmond. I need to pause here and thank all the lead-heads out there from whom I learn SO much. Our hobby is indebted to Dean and Jim Thomas for their exceptional scholarship where bullets and cartridges are concerned. Tom Stelma, Ian Workman, Ken Price, Mike Ward and probably a bazillion others whose names escape me have also been incredibly helpful in broadening our understanding of Civil War projectiles. I can plead guilty to knowing my buttons, plates and paper. But bullets, cartridges and shells remain an area where I have much to learn.

 

Please pardon that digression but I think it needed to be said. These guys are great.

 

Okay - onto the bullet itself. It has a lovely patina no flaws and is almost perfect at the base. The base is ever-so-slightly out of round but I can honestly say it looks more out of round in the picture than in reality. This is a dropped bullet with which you will be well satisfied. It was metal-detected on private property, with the permission of the land owner. Found in Fredericksburg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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