EXTRAORDINARILY RARE CONFEDERATE "ORDINARY SEAMAN'S" CAP

EXTRAORDINARILY RARE CONFEDERATE

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$15,000.00 ON HOLD

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 1179-437

This offering is among the rarest items we had had the pleasure to handle! This round visorless wool cap is the regulation "undress" or to be "worn at sea" or "service" cap of the Confederate States Navy. The full-dress version was black. This rarity was once in the Texas Civil War Museum and in addition it is identified to a fighting seaman.

THE CAP: Made of a substantial gray wool the specifics are as follows: A top having a 10-inch diameter. This rises 2 inches above the base band which is itself 1 1/2 inches high. Thus, there is a total rise of 4 inches from bottom to top. The top of the cap is heavily padded with raw cotton (to the thickness of at least 1/2 inch). On the center of the top are 2 decorative circles with scallop cut exteriors. These are on top of one another. The bottom one is 2 inches in diameter the top is 1 1/4 inches in diameter. The entire mid-gray wool exterior of 8 pieces is hand sewn together. There are a few minor insect nips.  At the rear of the cap is a black silk blend decorative ribbon that runs along the base band for 6 1/2 inches, is 1 3/4 inches high and has a double tail that hangs down 3 inches. The interior is fully lined with a cream-colored crudely polished cotton. There was never a sweat band and as a result the interior shows much soiling and great age. But for some clean tears the interior is excellent.

THE BOX: The cap was stored since the Civil War and its discovery some thirty years ago in a seaman's tarred canvas covered "ditty box". The box has a wooden core and measures 14 inches by 9 inches by 7 inches. It is banded in thin tin strips held by a plethora of brass tacks. There is on the hinged top a diamond design of white metal tacks and a tarred canvas covered leather handle. There is a brass working lock and iron key. The entire interior is lined with decorative paper with multiply repeated designs that look to this compiler like a fish on the waves. On the wooden bottom of this box is painted in script: "A. Williams"

THE CONFEDERATE SAILOR: A. Williams was an ordinary seaman who was assigned to the CS Sampson aka Samson.

THE CSS SAMPSON: She was a "Brown Water" gunboat serving in Georgia that saw combat! Please click on this link (CSS Sampson - Wikipedia). And this (Battle Between Confederate Gunboats and Union Field Artillery Historical Marker).

Perhaps there are 2 other such caps in existence? If you have a museum or are just easily satisfied with the rarest of the rare, consider this 100% original Confederate Navy treasure.  [pe][ph:L]

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