Shot Mold
Physical Object
1986.008.1758
Nuestra Señora de Atocha (1622)
circa 1620
An iron, scissor-type shot mold from the wreck of the 1622 galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha. This handheld mold was used to cast round, lead ball-shot, one at a time. The balls made by this mold were approximately 13.5 millimeters diameter, the appropriate size to be fired by an arquebus, a type of matchlock firearm carried by soldiers on the Atocha. One handle bears the symbol “ƒ” - likely a maker’s mark. The other handle is engraved with cross-hatched lines intended to aid the user’s grip. The piece has an overall length of 15 centimeters.