3054

EXTREMELY RARE CIVIL WAR UNION ENLISTED 4 BUTTON

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:6,500.00 USD Estimated At:13,000.00 - 18,000.00 USD
EXTREMELY RARE CIVIL WAR UNION ENLISTED 4 BUTTON
SACK COAT FOR A CORPORAL OF INFANTRY. Perhaps the most eagerly sought after uniform item of the Civil War is the enlisted 4 button sack coat. These coats were cheaply made of relatively thin material & did not hold up well to field use. They were turned out in untold numbers by various federal contractors. The survival rate of these uniforms was exceptionally low. Those that did not succumb to the rigors of field use were worn after the war by everyday soldiers as a general article of clothing & quickly became little more than rags. To find an original sack coat in this condition is truly reason for celebration for the avid uniform collector. Coat is of thin, navy blue wool w/ a 4 button front having a full complement of brass enlisted eagle buttons. The cuffs have a 1” sewn split at the base but no provision for buttons as is correct. The base of the cuff is lined in gray wool. The sleeves themselves are lined in thin white cotton. The right sleeve lining is stamped w/ “3” above the contractor’s mark which reads, “J. T. MARTIN”. There are other marks below the contractor’s name that are illegible. Another stamped mark, of a different ink, reads, “E” over “2”. John T. Martin was a federal contractor from New York City who produced millions of uniform items for the Union cause including 1,076,700 sack coats from 1862-1865. Light blue, Civil War period corporal stripes have been sewn on each arm and appear to have been there since the War. The lining is of blue/green loosely woven wool correct for this type of coat. The consignor states that the coat was sold by a family from Delaware in the last third of the 20th century. CONDITION: surprisingly, this coat remains exceptionally solid as compared to other examples. There are small areas of moth damage throughout the coat but no extensive holes. The collar has a small loss in the back, likely resulting from field use. The sleeve linings have detached areas but are complete. The lining shares the sm. areas of moth damage seen on the outside of the coat. (02-14670/BF). $13,000-18,000.