Take this opportunity to acquire an extraordinary, Civil War Union artilleryman’s large-size shell jacket that is in excellent-plus condition. This military garment, which appears only very slightly used, is constructed of six panels of heavy wool material dyed a deep indigo blue color and presents a shell jacket that is vivid and bright. The four-panel jacket body exhibits a twelve-button front closure. All of the brass eagle ‘shield’ buttons securely sewn to the flap edge are original buttons but five replace buttons that were missing. All but one of the button backs is plain. Shell retains its black-japanned, single-hook at the standup collar but it shows no clasp; appears never to have had one sewn on. Collar measures approximately 2¾” tall and displays four minty rows of 3/8” wide, artillery-red, worsted wool herringbone piping or tape on the collar exterior. Two, small, cuff size eagle ‘shield’ brass buttons adorn each side of the collar and punctuate the rows of red braid. The standard red herringbone piping runs the length of the buttonhole-side front flap and decorates the entire bottom edge of the jacket. On the shell’s backside, piping rises from the two belt-rest pads, a.k.a. ‘pillows’ sewn to the waist area and highlights the standard “V” cut from pillow to shoulder. Sleeve cuffs are non-functional and both feature a stripe chevron of red braid on the outside cuff.

Original, coarse gray/ brown wool material lines the jacket’s interior and is in excellent condition with no tears, thinning or fraying visible. Jacket lining had a very minor, two-inch long seam separation under the right armpit area but this has been professionally repaired. A side-slash pocket on the inner left-side jacket front is lined with dark brown cotton cloth that showed light seam separation at both upper and lower corners where attached to the shell body. This has also been professionally repaired. Remaining stitching in the lining is strong and tight. Each of the jacket’s two-panel sleeves are lined with white cotton / muslin material in bright, excellent condition with very minor sweat staining marks at the armpits. All sleeve stitching is tight and no tears or perforations are visible on the cotton cloth. On the upper right sleeve next to the shoulder’s inner stitching is the government inspector’s oval stamping along with the jacket sizing numeral “4”, and four 3/8” diameter dots, all stamped in black ink. The clear oval stamping reads “E. H. SHAFER. / U. S. / INSP. CIN.” Directly to the right of the oval stamping is the jacket sizing mark, a ¾” high, stenciled numeral “4” while below the stamp are the four black dots that again, signify the size. Jacket’s exterior wool body is in truly remarkable condition with no moth nips, perforations, or holes visible. Body did show two slight seam separations; 1” at the upper right shoulder / sleeve seam, and 1” at the panel seam behind the right shoulder but these have been professionally repaired. No tears, no fraying. All the red worsted wool braiding on the jacket is minty, bright, clean and tight with no fraying, ripping or wear through.

Less expensive to produce than the army frock coats, these artillery shell jackets were a comfortable and durable uniform garment worn by Union mounted soldiers during the war. This superb, Civil War artillery shell jacket is a super-fine, Cincinnati Depot government-issue specimen. If the collector is seeking a very fine, rare original Civil War shell jacket, you’ve found it.

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