This is an original, unopened package of Federal artillery friction primers. The pack consists of a drilled wood block, containing five friction primers, wrapped completely in dark blue paper. The blue wrapper had printed on the front surface, “5 / [image of primer] / FRICTION PRIMERS / FRANKFORD ARSENAL / 1864”. The printing was done in black ink which now makes many of these packs difficult to read. Due to some fading of the paper on the front of the label, this specimen is fairly easy to read. The rectangular package measures 2¼” long x 1½” wide x ¾” high.

Friction primers are short copper tubes filled with black powder used to fire Civil War-era cannons. The primers were used by placing one into the vent hole at the breech of a cannon and pulling a jagged piece of wire (with a long rope lanyard) through the top of the primer to ignite a flammable compound. This, in turn, would ignite the powder charge in the artillery piece.

Entire paper box is in good original condition. Slight color fade as mentioned. Remains sealed and retains the brown cloth tear-strip to open the package.  [jet]

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