During the Civil War over 1,000 different types of bullets were used for rifles and pistols.  The "minié" ball, a lead, hollow based bullet was the standard infantry bullet of the Civil War.

The rifle and minié bullet together changed the face of warfare forever. For the first time in history, infantrymen could aim their weapons at a target a fair distance away and actually have a chance of hitting it.

When the battle lines were drawn up, the ammunition supplier would "drop" large quantities of these bullet heads in front of the shooters, so that they could be picked up and rolled as needed. These bullets known as "miniés" were made to fit nearly 400 different types of guns and were accurate to about 1,000 feet.

During the Civil War over half a million soldiers were wounded in combat, a staggering one third of the soldiers in both armies. Two hundred thousand others had been killed fighting in the four years of the war. Ninety percent of the soldiers killed on the fields of battle owed their fate to the rifle and the minié bullet.

On May 12, 1864, the fighting was so severe in the Battle of Spotsylvania, the barrage of minie balls severed an oak tree that was almost two feet in diameter.  The stump was moved to the Smithsonian in 1888 and is on display today as shown in the photograph below.

All Civil War relics on this site we sell are genuine and meet our fastidious criteria for authenticity. They are accurately described here and are sold as such. Every relic is accompanied by a sealed Certificate Of Authenticity and is guaranteed for life to be genuine. 

Of course, if you want to haggle the old fashioned way with us about the price of any item, feel free to e-mail us with your best offer! Just because you are purchasing online, does not mean Rothchilde Antiques doesn't listen to you!  Some relic prices are firm, however, all your offers are carefully considered. Contact us anytime should you need more information about any of the relics shown, we truly enjoy hearing from you!  Please note that prices are subject to change to be competitive with the current market price.  Civil War bullets are becoming more rare every day, especially for hard to locate bullets and cartridges.  It is advised that you contact us prior to making your purchase to verify availability and price.

***If you purchase more than one item, the shipping costs are drastically reduced.  The shipping costs are for one item on site, you will receive an immediate refund for additional shipping costs for your other items when your order is submitted. 

 Bullets On This Page Come With:

• A Letter Of Provenance

• A Sealed & Signed Certificate Of Authenticity

When Applicable Bullets On This Page Come With:

• A Map Of The Recovery Area

• Photographs Taken Shortly After The Battle

The bullets and accessories below all tell a story.  Of particular interest are the wormed bullets and Spencer Carbine Cartridges recovered on Little Round Top, the possibility of them being used by the 20th Maine is one of several spectacular scenarios of these bullets.  The wormed bullets were removed from a rifle/musket by a soldier.  The bullet got stuck in the barrel, he used a bullet worm tool to remove it.

The high impact bullets are prized not only for their outstanding, unique characteristics but also for the area of their recovery.  One can only imagine what they hit to cause their mangled condition.  You can see on a topographical map the rock formations and trees and maybe they hit those, maybe they struck a stone wall or piece of artillery.  Maybe they hit a horse or human.

Collecting these famous bullets is fascinating.  Regardless of their recovery location or type, rare or common, each bullet has the history of actually being manufactured for or used in civil war battles.

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This is a dug 1863 Springfield rifle recovered from the Battle of The Wilderness area, near Spotsylvania, named as such because of the thick woods and underbrush preventing either army from clearly seeing the other.  The Battle of The Wilderness was in 1864, May 5th through May 7th.  163,000 soldiers were engaged in the battle.  There were 29,800 casualties in those three days, some of the soldiers were trapped in the woods that caught on fire from the intense shelling and gunfire.

This '63 Springfield has all the original metal parts, although pitted and rusted over time, there are the 3 rings, the butt plate, trigger assembly, firing pin, ramrod, etc., it's totally complete, with the exception of the wood which has disintegrated over time, the metal parts are all that remain.  The barrel is rusted and is slightly bent,  perhaps from the fire, it is in a half cocked position, it is truly frozen in time.  The bayonet was dug separately. This genuine Civil War rifle display and it's story will be the showcase of any collection.

$1580.00