SCARCE TRIPLE-BORDER INFANTRY CAPTAIN SMITH PATENT SHOULDER STRAPS

SCARCE TRIPLE-BORDER INFANTRY CAPTAIN SMITH PATENT SHOULDER STRAPS

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$1,295.00

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 490-7377

Shipping: Determined by Method & Location of buyer

To Order:
Call 717-334-0347,
Fax 717-334-5016, or E-mail

This officer was practical and kept an eye on cost, but wanted to make an impression. Smith patent shoulder straps were more robust, easier to maintain, less expensive, and less likely to snag on something than embroidered bullion insignia, but this set, with triple rows of false embroidery must have attracted some attention. Patented by military goods dealer James S. Smith of New York on June 18, 1861, these use a stamped gilt brass frame imitating the raised, embroidered borders of conventional straps, and have pins on the back to secure a backing with the appropriate branch of service color, on which might also be pinned stamped brass false-embroidered rank insignia as appropriate. This avoided the snagging and pulling of bullion strands or the jaceron wire edging of the embroidered versions, provided an easy way for an officer to show a promotion by just changing the rank insignia rather than having to buy a new set of straps, and was cheaper to produce since the same borders and rank insignia could be used for any branch of service by dealer, buy just changing the color of the fabric in the center of the straps.

This is a very good pair of straps, with good color to the blue velvet centers that show only slight rubbing on the high points and some muted gilt remaining on some of the brass whose bright finish mixes with silver gray oxidation on the rank bars and borders that show no bends or cracks. The blue uniform cloth underside is fully intact, with good color and only one or two tiny moth nips. The straps preserve their steep curve which would tightly fit the officer’s shoulders, and he went to the extra expense of purchasing Smith straps that imitate the more expensive, “Extra Rich Triple Border” embroidered bullion straps offered by some of the major military goods dealers. Not only do the borders show three distinct rows of false-embroidered bullion, the two rank bars at either end of the straps, denoting a Captain, each imitate three rows of false-embroidered bullion as well.

Smith straps were a widely used alternative to the embroidered bullion variety, but finding a set imitating triple borders is very hard to do.   [sr][ph:L]

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