SMITH PATENT FIRST LIEUTENANT OF ARTILLERY SHOULDER STRAPS

SMITH PATENT FIRST LIEUTENANT OF ARTILLERY SHOULDER STRAPS

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$1,100.00

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 490-7383

Shipping: Determined by Method & Location of buyer

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

These Civil War officer’s shoulder straps are in great condition and have strong color. These are for a First Lieutenant of artillery, having a red wool ground, with a single rank bar at either end of each. The centers show just couple of very minor rubs and a couple of pinprick holes. The red is bright and the gilt brass borders and bars show a just slightly subdued, aged tone, not dark. The dark blue backing is present on both and in just as good condition.

Military goods dealer James S. Smith of New York patented this form of shoulder strap on June 18, 1861, using a gilt brass frame stamped to imitate dead and bright bullion embroidered borders and using pins mounted on the back of the frames to secure a backing with the appropriate branch of service color, on which might also be pinned false-embroidered rank insignia as here.

These straps were less expensive and also more robust than the embroidered bullion versions- not subject to snagging of the bullion strands or jaceron wire edging used on those straps, and they also 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. Smith also noted the borders were easy to keep clean bright by simple polishing.

These would be appropriate for a First Lieutenant of either heavy or light artillery. The latter serving as the army’s field artillery, but the former being brought out from their usually duty in fortifications for active service in the field beginning in 1864, to serve both as artillery and as infantry, taking some of the highest casualties of the war.

This is a very strong looking set of officer’s straps that would go well in an insignia or specifically artillery display.  [sr][ph:L]

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