Le Prince de Conde: Presidio Cannons

Le Prince de Conde cannon

Only French bronze cannon on Presidio.

The name is located on the chase, also the crest of Louis-Charles is located there, the crest sitting in a field of cannon indicates that he was the Grand Master of Artillery, a position he held between 1710-1755.

The crest of Louis XV is located on the reinforce, along with the Latin phrase "pluribus nec impar" which translates to "to many not equal."

The head of Bacchus is carved on the breech, and the cascabel is a gust of wind being blown by Bacchus.

Collected from Santiago Cuba, as a war prize, after the Spanish and American War by General William Shafter. Presented to the City of San Francisco, where it was placed at the Lick Monument in 1899, moved to the De Young Museum, actual date unknown, but prior to 1950, was most likely then placed in storage. It shows up again by the flagpole at Fort Point in 1969, before coming to rest at its final, and current location in 1973.

One might wonder, why did Cuba have a French cannon?