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Double-Bordered Captain's Straps on Retailer's Card
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DESCRIPTION
Civil War embroidered bullion double-bordered captain's straps mounted on their original sale card.
When I first saw a photograph of these I was unsure whether the card was a wartime retailer's way of marketing the straps or a postwar display in the way button collectors used to mount their trophies. Having them in hand, I am certain it is a wartime retailer's display card. The card measures 5 by 5 7/8 inches and has a gilt two-line border printed about 3/16 inch from the edges. The straps are secured by a single line of period thread running around the perimeter of the card on the reverse. The straps standard regulation size. Each measures 2 1/8 by 4 3/4 inches overall. The background is a deep navy blue, faded slightly, and the double borders and bars are gilt "dead and bright" bullion wire their jacqueron wire borders in place around the exterior and interior borders. The outer row or the bullion border has oxidized slightly to a silver, but the inner row and the bars still have lots of gilding. There is one slight moth nip on the edge of one strap, evident in the photos, but it is very minor. There is enough give in the thread holding the straps to raise them slightly on the long edges. This reveals a very typical Civil War open back under a thin piece of paper. The normal way of attaching these to the uniform was first to turn the edges under and stitch them down over the paper backing and then stitch them to the shoulders of the coat. (Though of course now it is sometimes hard to tell if the paper backing was not simply thrown away in the process.)
The card was folded in half lengthwise. It would likely fall into two halves were the thread on the back not holding it together. While folded the corner of the card obviously dipped into something giving the two corners of the opened card brown stains that reach, but do not affect, the corners of the straps.
The deep blue background would be appropriate for either and infantry or a staff officer. The former technically worn light blue and the latter wore black, and I have seen this color strap on coats from both branches of service. The real drawing point for these, however, is not the branch of service, but that they are still on the original retailer's card.
Shipping $9.95 priority insured in a Riker case.
NY addresses add sales tax or supply a resale number.
When I first saw a photograph of these I was unsure whether the card was a wartime retailer's way of marketing the straps or a postwar display in the way button collectors used to mount their trophies. Having them in hand, I am certain it is a wartime retailer's display card. The card measures 5 by 5 7/8 inches and has a gilt two-line border printed about 3/16 inch from the edges. The straps are secured by a single line of period thread running around the perimeter of the card on the reverse. The straps standard regulation size. Each measures 2 1/8 by 4 3/4 inches overall. The background is a deep navy blue, faded slightly, and the double borders and bars are gilt "dead and bright" bullion wire their jacqueron wire borders in place around the exterior and interior borders. The outer row or the bullion border has oxidized slightly to a silver, but the inner row and the bars still have lots of gilding. There is one slight moth nip on the edge of one strap, evident in the photos, but it is very minor. There is enough give in the thread holding the straps to raise them slightly on the long edges. This reveals a very typical Civil War open back under a thin piece of paper. The normal way of attaching these to the uniform was first to turn the edges under and stitch them down over the paper backing and then stitch them to the shoulders of the coat. (Though of course now it is sometimes hard to tell if the paper backing was not simply thrown away in the process.)
The card was folded in half lengthwise. It would likely fall into two halves were the thread on the back not holding it together. While folded the corner of the card obviously dipped into something giving the two corners of the opened card brown stains that reach, but do not affect, the corners of the straps.
The deep blue background would be appropriate for either and infantry or a staff officer. The former technically worn light blue and the latter wore black, and I have seen this color strap on coats from both branches of service. The real drawing point for these, however, is not the branch of service, but that they are still on the original retailer's card.
Shipping $9.95 priority insured in a Riker case.
NY addresses add sales tax or supply a resale number.