Civil War Tent Peg / Stake ??

[moman]

Hi Treasurenet Forum.

This is my first post. Thanks in advance.

I recently bought this Civil War era (hopefully) tent peg or stake for my father who collects antiques. He likes Civil War items and other military and hand tool items. It looks like an interesting item. Please see the pictures I attached. When I research Civil War era tent pegs, they all come up as smaller wooden style, or very simple iron styles (just curved at the end). Also, I have not seen any that are actually marked with the "US" military letters, like this one is.

Anybody out there that provide additional information? Is it possibly for a larger command type tent, and not an individual soldier style tent?

Thank you.
-Sean

 

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[nsdq]

Modern us army tent peg some are steel some are aluminum gp med used wooden ones , .....

 

[DCMatt]

Civil War tent pegs were made of wood.

 

[moman]

Thanks for the reply guys. I appreciate it.

How modern? The seller claims it is hand forged from Iron, which would mean it is not very modern. Are you 100% it is not in the 19th century?

 

[A2coins]

Welcome to tnet cool relic hard to tell its origins if it was hand forged

 

[gunsil]

I have found the brass CW era tent rope adjusters and they never had a U S mark on them, I don't know of any US military tent stakes with US on them. Don't think infantry would want to carry a bunch of those around on long marches, maybe a later motorized army item?

 

[Tony in SC]

Looks like a ridge inside the hook that could be a cast line?

 

[nsdq]

Early 1900s to 1950s that is not hand forged and that is steel

Thanks for the reply guys. I appreciate it.

How modern? The seller claims it is hand forged from Iron, which would mean it is not very modern. Are you 100% it is not in the 19th century?

 

[nsdq]

Fold line when put into a metal press machine , where two edges meet

Looks like a ridge inside the hook that could be a cast line?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I have found the brass CW era tent rope adjusters and they never had a U S mark on them, I don't know of any US military tent stakes with US on them. Don't think infantry would want to carry a bunch of those around on long marches, maybe a later motorized army item?

I thought CW era used wood. Can you post a pic? http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/w...cs-what-they-solved-tent-rope-tighteners.html

 

[releventchair]

Smells fishy. Besides the common use of wood during the Civil War.
Looks like a steel stake.
Not finding a source , but was led to piclick or whatever the site is where bunches of C.W. repro items are listed by this picture.
Not finding anything else on it increased the fishy smell. Note the description (when pic is clicked on)and measuring tape...

 

[moman]

Thanks everybody. The source was ebay (very good rating of the seller). Looks like everybody agrees it is not civil war era. That is a shame, because the description specifically say this.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-US...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

 

[gunsil]

Well I think you should have the seller take it back or you should give him another bad feedback. Seller was probably told a crock when he/she got it but they should still take it back. Gotta watch out for stuff advertised as CW, so much of it isn't the real deal. I started collecting CW stuff at 13, I'm now 72 and have seen tons of stuff for sale over the years that did not cut the mustard and it has only gotten worse as more folks want to own CW stuff and there is less available to the market.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Wasn't it determined that the brass ones in the link BCH posted were from 1880? I have several with the patent date embossed on them?

 

[civil_war22]

Well I think you should have the seller take it back or you should give him another bad feedback. Seller was probably told a crock when he/she got it but they should still take it back. Gotta watch out for stuff advertised as CW, so much of it isn't the real deal. I started collecting CW stuff at 13, I'm now 72 and have seen tons of stuff for sale over the years that did not cut the mustard and it has only gotten worse as more folks want to own CW stuff and there is less available to the market.

And in those 50+ years you, and I both know how they’ve went from very crudely looking reproductions to flat out spot on reproductions on some items. The battlefield site up here now sells authentic brass with lead back filled puppy paw US belt plates. That’s the scary part, because some of them don’t even look modern they look weathered.

 

[gunsil]

And in those 50+ years you, and I both know how they’ve went from very crudely looking reproductions to flat out spot on reproductions on some items. The battlefield site up here now sells authentic brass with lead back filled puppy paw US belt plates. That’s the scary part, because some of them don’t even look modern they look weathered.

DANG!!! I had not heard of puppy paw repros!! I once had a collection of 35 US plates and many more including good confederates before the burglars got me in 1975. A lot of those early more crude repros now look pretty patinaed but at least there are still some "tells", are the repro puppy paws really good with thick tongues?? I always laugh at all the "bowie" knives with claimed civil war provenance, every soldier must have carried two or three of them by survival rate if they all were really CW. Funny, one US plate the burglars didn't get was one found by Lewis Leigh which I purchased for $3.00 (three dollars) through a magazine ad in 1960. I am amazed at what they go for these days. I also bought dug minies and .69 round balls from him for ten cents each. I used to actually shoot the dug .69s in my 14 guage percussion shotgun, they fit perfectly with a medium patch.

 

[civil_war22]

DANG!!! I had not heard of puppy paw repros!! I once had a collection of 35 US plates and many more including good confederates before the burglars got me in 1975. A lot of those early more crude repros now look pretty patinaed but at least there are still some "tells", are the repro puppy paws really good with thick tongues?? I always laugh at all the "bowie" knives with claimed civil war provenance, every soldier must have carried two or three of them by survival rate if they all were really CW. Funny, one US plate the burglars didn't get was one found by Lewis Leigh which I purchased for $3.00 (three dollars) through a magazine ad in 1960. I am amazed at what they go for these days. I also bought dug minies and .69 round balls for ten cents each. I used to actually shoot the dug .69s in my 14 guage percussion shotgun, they fit perfectly with a medium patch.

Yeah the tongues look legit. It’s actually scary at how well they’re made. I’ve seen guys shoot the round balls before. One guy I knew use to hunt with them massive bullets. On the Bowie knife part you’re correct. The confederates had some due to their arms being inferior. Here’s an example of a supposed dug one at Perryville, Kentucky. I’m thinking it’s a little too nice to be found on the battlefield.

 

[Toecutter]

Well hopefully next time you'll research before you buy....

 

[civil_war22]

Well hopefully next time you'll research before you buy....

Always research any antiques. Look up what genuine vs fake look like. There’s a lot of good info out there now on how to spot fakes we didn’t have even 5 years ago. It only takes seconds to look these up. Ironically I just found one of these stakes in some of my dads old surplus stuff he used to buy, and hoard.

 

[moman]

Thanks for the information guys. I usually do a better job of researching.

Last question, a previous poster mentioned that it may be more modern, such as 1900-1950. Is it possible this is not a fake/repo, but a genuine US army peg, just not from CW era?