This elegant pair of epaulets uses a silvered infantry officer’s “Eagle-I” button at the end of each strap nearest the collar, embroidered silver cloth for the straps with bullion edges, silvered crescents at the shoulders, with double-row bullion edges, from under which are suspended silver bullion fringe coils. The straps are 2-5/8 wide. The bullion coils are 3-1/2” long and 3/8” in diameter. The undersides were lined with white silk, still there under the shoulder pads and crescents, but now missing on the underside of the straps, which show a cardboard underside.

Cloth laces run through the shanks of the buttons on the underside that would pass through holes in the shoulder of the coat to tie them in place, with the outer portion of the strap and the crescent portion likely held in place by a cloth loop on the shoulder or even by shoulder straps bearing rank insignia as shown in some early American military photographs. We see no sign of rank or unit insignia having been sewn or pinned to them.

The use of silver as a branch color for infantry epaulets, as indicated by the buttons, gives us date of 1832 to 1851, when infantry officers shifted to gold epaulets, though if these were used in the militia, all bets are off, since their regulations varied. One of the buttons, however, was loose enough to get a look at the backmark: GEORGE FLOYD * EXTRA, which Bazelon and McGuinn give a firm 1842-1844 date and Philadelphia location, putting them in the Mexican War era, with allowance for possible later use to 1851 and perhaps beyond by militia.

For similar use of cloth laces, see Langellier, Army Blue, Vol. 1, p. 37. For a ca. 1851 army lieutenant using shoulder straps over his epaulets see the photo on p. 63, though we note he has a circlet in the crescent likely with a regimental numeral. Rank was also officially indicated by the width of the bullion fringe, with general and field grade officers using ½” diameter fringe, Captains, ¼” and Lieutenants, 1/8”. This, measuring betwixt and between, pushes us again toward a militia identification.

The condition is very strong. They are solid and very displayable. The coils are bright. The straps show only mild softening of color and no damage. The crescents show some rubbing along the central, high point. The buttons are very good. As mentioned above the silk on the underside is intact under padded shoulder crescents, but missing along the underside of the strap toward the collar from natural wear. Please see our photos.   [sr] [ph:L]

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