A bit of history -A Coehorn  was a portable mortar developed in the Netherlands by  Menno van Coehoorn in 1674 and in use from the seventeenth to the mid nineteenth centuries. Unlike larger, heavier mortars, the coehorn was designed to be movable by as few as four men. By the time of the American Civil War, it was in service with both armies in twelve (4.62″) and twenty-four pound varieties.

Unlike most other contemporary mortars, the coehorn fired a powder-filled, time-fused shell at a relatively short range. Range could be altered by adding to or reducing the amount of powder loaded behind the shell. Its usually small powder charge and slow muzzle velocity meant that the shell’s high, arching flight could be easily observed from ground level.

Small replicas of Coehorn mortars made of brass and steel with wooden bases. Size of barrels range from 6 to 10 inches. See more images on Specialty Knives page!