This is a superb display piece! It is 1/2 of an the 4.5 inch diameter cannon shell that was to be fired out of the Civil War siege rifled cannon. This pattern is illustrated on page #222 of the heavy artillery shell book by Jack Bell. This one has been cut in half so now you can see the cavity where the powder charge would have been at one time. At the top it has the remnants of the zinc Dyer style percussion fuse. The body of the shell has been cleaned and coated for display and preservation. The sabots on these dyer shells are massive and it flew off in flight and is missing. This 1/2 shell has an amazing display look as you can see. The verbal history that accompanied the piece is that it was found in Petersburg, Virginia. This one is a great display piece!