✅ SOLVED Grand Army of the Republic Medal #2

[Old Pueblo]

This is one of my great grandfathers Grand Army of the Republic medal. He was from Germany, originally, pioneered Wisconsin and Nebraska areas I think it was, and then later fought in the Civil War in Louisiana. After the war he was sent to the Mexican border in Texas and was there when the Mexicans and the French were going at it in Matamoros, across from Brownsville, about 1865 or 1866. I was wondering when these medals were made. Obviously its from after the civil war. Thank you. (Note: This originally appeared in the "General Discussion" forum)

 

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[Old Pueblo]

And just so everyone knows, I found it one day in my sister's hand, who was about to take it home when I snatched it up. I also have my great grandmother's locket, which was with the medal, and which looks to be civil war time period. Ill try and post a good pic of it so everyone can see.

 

[Old Pueblo]

My grandmother kept these two things on a shelf next to each other, with a few other family heirlooms that belonged to my great grandparents and so on. Im not sure who the woman is, but I think it must be my great grandmother Ann, who was the wife of my German great grandfather who was in the Civil War (I have a few great grandfathers that were in the Civil War). When I got it, both the medal and the locket had the same old fabric on the back to protect them, and my grandmother also had a large portrait of Ann, which is now in my sister's possession. The woman in the portrait is older than the woman in the locket, but they look enough alike that im pretty sure theyre the same woman. Anyway, does this locket look like its from the civil war time period? The top is missing, unfortunately, but everything else is intact.

 

[Old Pueblo]

Backside of medal.

 

[nhbenz]

Tough telling, but the GAR had its peak membership in 1890 (later than I would've guessed), so if you go by that statistic alone it may have been made in that ballpark?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Army_of_the_Republic

 

[Old Pueblo]

I was thinking the same, late 19th century. He was born in 1825 or so and died in 1886. He was in the 35th Wisconsin Infantry.

 

[nhbenz]

Oh wait, sure enough there are variations, described here: http://www.davidmaloney.com/gar/TheVeteran2003-2008/2003-2008Vol17No4_Badges.pdf
I haven't dug through to see which type yours is though... heck someone here might know without reading that whole essay.

 

[Old Pueblo]

I was hoping there is a way to date these, as Im sure they were made into the early 1900s.

 

[Old Pueblo]

Thank you.