Soldiers on the frontier during the French & Indian War (F&I War) found the Quill Pen quickly wore out and was difficult to replace.  They tried charcoal which was easy to obtain but very messy to use and did not last at all.  The soldiers knew that their lead musketballs marked easily on the paper cartridges used to hold powder and ball for loading, and they knew that they could change the shape of the ball by hammering.  One soldier, using this knowledge, hammered a ball into the shape of a squared stick with a point and the "Lead Pencil" came into common use, first by soldiers and later in schools on the frontier.  This use of a hammered lead stick or "pencil" continued throughout the mid-nineteenth century, and is how we get the term "Lead Pencil" today although today's pencil is graphite.

Troops on campaign during the French & Indian War (F&I War) were not allowed to gamble nor carry gaming devices.  They were, however, allowed and expected to carry extra musketballs, usually in a shot pouch which was normally checked by the heft rather than by looking inside.  The troops, knowing this, would take a hammer and carefully flatten the balls, tap in the "pips" with a nail, and hide their "dice" in the shot pouch safe from the Sergeant's eye yet available for a quick game of Hazzard at the camp fire.  These "musketball dice" have been recreated just as they were done 200 years ago, hammered from 69 caliber lead balls and pipped with a nail.