This is an excavated brass percussion fuse for a Civil War shell. This is the pattern that is illustrated on page #93 of the Chuck Jones artillery book and is the version with the 1.15 width of the head. It is the main body and is missing the center sections. This one is in very nice excavated fuse and it has the thick patina all over. The verbal history that accompanied this piece is that it was recovered several years ago in the area near Richmond, Virginia. This is a nicely priced dug Hotchkiss patent Civil War cannon shell fuse.