Also known as: relic condition.
| Terms | Dug and non-dug; patina, corrosion, and completeness |
|---|---|
| Concern | Condition affects identification and value |
| Care | Conservation stabilizes recovered iron |
Describing condition
Recovered ordnance is described in a vocabulary of condition: whether a piece is dug, that is recovered from the ground, or non-dug; the state of its surface and patina; the extent of corrosion; and how complete it is with its sabot, fuze, and markings intact.
Condition bears on both identification and value, and recovered iron often needs careful conservation to stabilize it, since neglected relics can continue to corrode after they leave the ground.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- CivilWarArtillery.com research archive: manuals, reports, marking references, and collecting notes.