American Military Insignia 1800-1851 Part 16

The familiar hooked-beak eagle dominates the center of this bra.s.s, scalloped-edge plate. The arrows of belligerency, however, are held in the left talon. Surrounding the eagle is a three-quarter wreath of olive with the national motto above and the date 1776 below. While there is a possibility that this plate may fall into the period 1814-1821 because of its outline shape, it lacks the panoply of arms a.s.sociated with that era. It is much more probable that this is one of the earliest plates made for Militia during the years 1821-1830. Since this plate is also known in silver-on-copper, it is considered a stock pattern.

CAP PLATE, MILITIA, ARTILLERY(?), C. 1821

_USNM 60306-M (S-K 63). Figure 112._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 112]

This oval, bra.s.s-struck plate framed within a large wreath of laurel is one of the finest in the national collections, comprising as it does a number of devices of excellent design and considerable detail standing in high relief. The curving line of 21 stars above the motto, decreasing in size laterally, is an interesting detail, and the eagle and panoply of arms is reminiscent of those on the plate ascribed to the Regiment of Light Artillery, 1814-1821, and on several of the common Militia plates of the same period. It is a.s.signed to the artillery because of its "yellow metal" composition. It has simple wire fasteners, applied to the reverse, and carries no plume socket.

CAP PLATE, NEW YORK, C. 1825

_USNM 60273-M (S-K 31). Figure 113._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 113]

This unusually large, shield-shaped plate, struck in bra.s.s, is dominated by an eagle--within a smaller shield with raised edge--standing on a half globe and wreath of the colors, both of which are superimposed on a trophy of arms and flags; clouds and sun rays are above. The specimen represents one of the large cap plate patterns adopted by the Militia for wear on the bell-crown cap soon after it came into general use in the early 1820's. While a stock pattern in a sense, its use was most likely confined to New York State Militia because its princ.i.p.al device, the eagle-on-half-globe, is taken directly from that state's seal. These large plates were widely worn until the middle or late 1830's when newer styles began to replace them. The plume socket affixed to the reverse appears to be contemporary, but has been resoldered.

CAP PLATE, NEW YORK, C. 1825

_USNM 60356-M (S-K 112). Figure 114._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 114]

This is a variant of the preceding plate and well ill.u.s.trates how an insignia-maker could adapt a single die for several products. The eagle-on-half-globe, with a portion of the trophy of arms and colors, and the clouds and sunburst above have merely been cut out from the plate proper for use alone. The plate is struck in bra.s.s.

Another specimen, of silver-on-copper, is known, indicating that this insignia was made for wear by infantry as well as by other branches of the service; consequently, it may be termed a stock pattern.

CAP PLATE, NEW YORK, C. 1825

_USNM 60266-M (S-K 24). Figure 115._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 115]

Ill.u.s.trating fine craftsmanship, this elaborate bra.s.s cap plate comprises perhaps the most ornate and intricately detailed design ever attempted by a military ornament die sinker. The strike itself has been so well executed that the most minute details are even today readily discernible, even after very apparent use. Made for New York Militia, its central theme is the eagle-on-half-globe superimposed on a trophy of arms and flags.

Many of the facets of detail are of particular interest. Almost every ray of the aura of sunlight can still be clearly seen; the North Pole is well marked with a vertical arrow; the Arctic Circle, Tropic of Capricorn, and the Equator are included on the half-globe, as are the meridians of longitude and the parallels of lat.i.tude; both North America and South America are shown, and that portion of North America east of the Mississippi basin is clearly denominated "UNITED STATES."

An unusual feature of the design is the way the arrows are held in the eagle's left talon--some of the arrow heads point inward, some outward. What appears to have been a contemporary plume socket has been resoldered to the reverse.

Although this plate is unmarked as to maker, another plate of a similar design but of silver-on-copper has the maker's mark "J.

JOULLAIN, MAKER, N. YORK." Since two distinct but similar designs are known, and the finished product is found in both bra.s.s and silver-on-copper, it seems probable that this plate was produced by more than one maker, and for all arms of the service. It is therefore deemed a stock pattern.

CAP PLATE, RIFLEMEN, C. 1825

_USNM 60267-M (S-K 25). Figure 116._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 116]

Almost immediately after the last Regular rifle regiment was disbanded in 1821, Militia riflemen adopted the large open horn with loops and ta.s.sels that the Regulars had worn from 1817 to 1821. The basic device was altered slightly by showing an eagle in flight and the horn suspended much lower on its cords. The ill.u.s.trated bra.s.s plate is one of four die variants, and more than a dozen similar to it have been examined. It is significant that all are of bra.s.s, for these were made and worn during the period when the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs for infantry were silver or "white metal."

This plate differs from the others examined in that it has 17 6-pointed stars along the upper and lower parts of the shield inside the border. The number of stars cannot be significant in dating for the plate was obviously made long after 1812 when the 18th state, Louisiana, was admitted to the Union. A plume socket affixed to the reverse appears to be original.

Undoubtedly made as a stock pattern by several manufacturers, these plates continued in use for at least 15 years after they first appeared about 1825. Although _U.S. Military Magazine_ ill.u.s.trates many large cap plates for the period 1839-1841, none has a shield outline. This may indicate a decline in the popularity of the design, but it must be remembered that Huddy and Duval presented the uniforms of only a small cross-section of the Militia of the period.

CAP PLATE, RIFLEMEN, C. 1825

_USNM 60267-M (S-K 26). Figure 117._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 117]

This is a second form of Militia riflemen's plates. Struck in bra.s.s, it differs from the preceding primarily in the placement of 17 5-pointed stars along the upper half of the shield, between the borders. Other small differences show that the basic die was not that used for the preceding specimen. The most obvious difference is the legend "E PLURIBUS UNUM" carried on the ribbon behind the knotted cord of the horn, an element not present in the other.

A third form, not ill.u.s.trated, subst.i.tutes a floral border for the plain border around the edge of the shield and contains no stars as part of the design. Still a fourth form, also not ill.u.s.trated, has the same center device of eagle and open horn placed in a longer and narrower shield, with 23 6-pointed stars between the borders.

-- These various combinations of devices give a good clue as to the method of manufacture of stock patterns, and indicate the use of several different dies and hand punches. The blank metal was first struck by a die that formed the plain or floral border and cut the outline of the plate. Next, a smaller die containing the center device of eagle and horn was used. Then the stars, and sometimes elements of the floral border, were added by individual striking with a hand punch. This latter method is clearly revealed by the comparison of several "identical" plates in which the stars or elements of the border are irregularly and differently s.p.a.ced.

CAP PLATE, RIFLEMAN PATTERN, C. 1825

_USNM 60398-M (S-K 154). Figure 118._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 118]

This plate is called "rifleman pattern" because it is silver-on-copper and is the only known example of this type of insignia made for wear by infantry, or possibly for Militia riflemen whose tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs were, incorrectly, silver.

There are several conjectures about this cut-out device made from a die of the preceding series of shield plates. It may have been made after 1834, when the open horn with cord and ta.s.sels was adopted by the Regular infantry as a branch device. It is equally possible that it was submitted to a Militia infantry organization by some maker as a sample during the 1820's and when selected was silvered to conform with other tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs. In either case, it ill.u.s.trates how a single die could serve to make many different variations from a basic design.

CAP PLATE, RIFLEMEN, C. 1825

_USNM 60304-M (S-K 61B). Figure 119._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 119]

The very unusual construction of this bra.s.s plate for riflemen indicates that it is possibly one of the earliest of the composite plates. Within a wreath of crossed laurel boughs is a small center circle with raised edge to which has been soldered the eagle and horn device struck in convex form.

CAP PLATE, RIFLEMEN, C. 1830

_USNM 60252-M (S-K 10). Figure 120._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 120]