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APPRAISALS: How to Identify Valuable Military Collectibles
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A military collectable is any piece of gear that may have been issued to
or purchased by military personnel from the American Revolution through
World War II. Generally, the older and scarcer the item is, the more
valuable, e.g., a Civil War Union kepi (hat) would be less valuable than a
Confederate kepi (if identification to an individual can be made, value
goes up). Even fundamental World War I and World War II items are going up
in value each day. One thinks of guns, pistols, swords, uniforms, spurs, cartridge boxes and
belts, knives, bayonets, ammunition, belt buckles, musical
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instruments, buttons, flags, letters, pictures, medals, all of which may have
presentations or attributions. You may have a single military item, or
better, a grouping (several related items such as a pistol and holster)
from one individual. Ignorance of the rising value of military
collectibles and deterioration from neglect are now the enemy. (Do not
attempt to clean any item until it is appraised; proof of authenticity can
be lost.)
With regard to guns, they can be anything from muskets, long guns,
flintlocks, percussion, rifles, carbines, or pistols of almost any type
imaginable. Makers, which influence the value significantly, can range
from small manufacturers that made only handfuls of an item, to large
manufacturers such as Colt, Remington, Sharps, Girand, etc.
Be assured that any of the above items listed, if authentic, will be worth
far more than the modest cost of a first rate written appraisal.
Pistols
can be considered in the same way as guns, with more variety such as
dueling pistols in cases to those with knife extensions under the barrel.
LeMat made an outstanding personal pistol carried by generals during the
Civil War that shot nine rounds and one twenty gauge shot gun round.
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Colt
pistols came in during this period and are favored by collectors until the
present day. Many other names can be included, and models and calibers
seem almost limitless. Again, be assured that any genuine piece up to and including World War II will be worth far more than
cost of appraisal.
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Swords were used from the Revolution to the beginning of the twentieth
century. They were last used in combat in the Civil War. The 45 pistol
became the sidearm for officers in 1911, but swords are still used for
ceremonial purposes until the present day. In general, one can determine
a Civil War or earlier sword by the thickness of the blade closest to the
hilt (grip). If it is an inch or more, it is likely to be a Civil War
sword. After the Civil War, the norm for that thickness became
approximately three-quarters of an inch.
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In the late 19th century, many
elaborate swords were produced for fraternal organizations. These were
often profusely colored at the hilt and etched on the blades.
Attribution, which is simply a man's name on his sword, to full fledged
presentations which refers to a town or a community or a group of his own
men presenting, usually an officer, with a sword, can greatly add to the
value of the piece. This means of identification or presentation may also occur on firearms, albeit less frequently.
When considering scarcity of early American uniforms, a jacket or a piece
of headgear can be extremely valuable even if not in the greatest
condition. Civil War uniforms are in high demand with enlisted men's
jackets sometimes bringing more than officer's frock coats because of
their rarity. Headgear can vary from kepis, the simple hat worn by North
and South, to Hardee hats which have a big brim and a large plume worn by
officers and named after General Hardee. Naturally because of scarcity,
Confederate uniforms are usually far more expensive than their Union
counterparts. Again, do not be afraid to submit partial pieces since they
still may have a very high value.
Belt buckles can range from extremely
rare Revolutionary War examples to the Civil War standard issue U.S. or
C.S.A. to various state models, e.g. Palm Tree, South Carolina, Pelican,
Louisiana, or officers' models, the value of which, if authentic, will
greatly exceed cost of appraisal.
Flags, up to and including the Civil War, can be very valuable. During
the Civil War, the North had its national flag, the Stars and Stripes, 34
stars, then 35. Each regiment had its own regimental flag that represented
the unit; these flags were of many varieties. The South had three national
flags, the first, the second, and the third national, as well as many
regimental flags representing individual units. (Note, these flags which
in many cases are as high as they are long on the fly were meant to be
seen through the smoke of battle.) Needless to say, the value of any
genuine flag can be shocking. Letters can be valuable depending on their
author and content. Pictures can also be valuable depending on the
subject.
The Congressional Medal of Honor is the nation's highest award and was
first given during the Civil War. These, of course, are very valuable.
However, many enlisted men made their own badges that frequently denote
the Corps in which they served and are consequently called Corps badges.
These, too, are valuable and sought after by collectors.
There are many posters from the Civil War to World War II inviting
enlistment and encouraging patriotic activities. These are growing in
value and depending on their condition are desirable.
The value of military collectibles in the United States is quite amazing.
The tragic thing, however, is that a great percentage of treasures are
being subjected to rot, rust, moth damage, or the trash. Even the oldest,
most valuable items may be deteriorating in attics, basements, and who
knows where else. As time goes on, people do not realize the value of
their father's or grandfather's military "stuff," not to mention even
older items. The key is that if the item is authentic (and if you know
who actually owned it, the problem doesn't exist) its value will increase
with time depending only on its rarity.
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