A RARE SURVIVOR - CA. 1825-1840 US MILITIA SHAKO PLATE WITH ITS ORIGINAL PLUME

A RARE SURVIVOR - CA. 1825-1840 US MILITIA SHAKO PLATE WITH ITS ORIGINAL PLUME

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$695.00

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 1273-110

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This US militia hat plate still has its original black feather plume and measures an impressive 25” tall overall. Made of die-struck brass, the cap plate itself measures 4-1/2” tall and 3-1/4” wide and has two iron wire loops soldered on the back on either side for attachment to a helmet or shako, and 1-1/4” thin iron tube at the top for mounting a plume, which still remains in place. See Campbell & O’Donnell, Headgear Insignia, Fig. 627 for this pattern of plate, which was a popular one, with the die used to produced waistbelt plates as well, and noted by C&O as showing up, gilt, silver on copper, and brass. In this case the brass may have had a thin gilt finish, but none remains and it shows a uniform, pleasing, aged, deep olive-green patina with some brown shades and a dusting of verdigris in the border at the very top, and has no bends, breaks or dents.

The plate has straight sides and scalloped top and bottom edges with four scallops, and has a narrow border of two raised ribs with stippled ground between. The central motif is an eagle with raised wings, US shield on its chest, an arc of stars at top with an E PLURIBUS UNUM ribbon scroll just below that, with sun rays then reaching down to the eagle, which is superimposed on a trophy of arms showing cannon, cannonballs, flags and pikes, etc. The die work is crisp. The ribbon motto is in small, raised letters. C&O posit British manufacture from the quality of the die work on their example.

The presence of the plume, of course, makes this remarkable. The plume is made of small black/brown feathers tied to a wood rod. This is thrust through a stamped brass 3” tall plume holder in the form of a ball at the bottom and four tall, well -detailed leaves that spring up from it, appearing to wrap around the base of the plume. These show some thin verdigris near the tips and are slightly indented for the upper ¾” to hold the plume securely. The wood rod of the plume in the meantime passes down through the ball and is held by the small iron tube soldered on the upper reverse of the plate.

The plume appears to be full height, extending about 17-1/2” above the tips of the brass leaves holding it, with the whole, from base of the helmet plate to tip of the plume being an impressive 25 inches. The feathers show a deep brown and are all in place though at the very bottom of the plume two short ¾” sections of the twine wrapping around them to secure them to the rod are visible.

This is a rare survivor that would be the centerpiece of any display of militia cap plates.  [sr][ph:L]

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