I.D. HELP PLEASE - CIVIL WAR SILVER LAPEL PIN??

[pike335]

HELLO ALL, I NEED SOME HELP IDENTIFYING THIS PIN I FOUND. I FOUND IT IN AN AREA WHERE I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL CIVIL WAR MILITARY BUTTONS.
IT IS SILVER AND HAS A THREADED SHAFT ON THE BACK AND A COPPER SCREW ON PIECE.
THE BACK IS MARKED: 1/29 - 12/4 OR MAYBE 12/H, HARD TO READ. BELOW THAT IT SAYS STERLING, BUT THERE APPEAR TO BE 2 MORE LETTERS BEFORE STERLING I CANT MAKE OUT.
LOOKING AT SOME OLD MILITARY BUTTONS I FOUND AN ALMOST IDENTICAL CASTLE ON AN ENGINEERS BUTTON.

THANKS

 

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[Montana Jim]

U.S. Army Corp of Engineers - Officer's Castle

Lemme do some more research while PBK comes in and gets to the bottom of this.

Update: Prior to this, the Corp used the Essayons symbol, then the castle was used staring 1840... this from the below quoted site: "It is significant that when the above first official description of the Essayons button was published by the War Department in 1840, Alexander Macomb was the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army at Washington; and that the officers of the Corps of Engineers were to have a new uniform, which was to be embellished with an added brand new insigne—the Turreted Castle device. It would be interesting to know what part, if any, Alexander Macomb, as Commander-in-Chief of the Army, played in selecting or approving the Turreted Castle as a new adornment of the uniform."

Halfway down the page at: http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/history/insignia.htm

My understanding is that enlisted wore these during the CW on the forage or slouch hats (kepi hats) and that officers would have had embroidered versions. But during the CW they would have been brass... so I'm not sure at all as to the exact purpose of your speciman, it being silver...

But, check this site out too, it shows a pin like yours over some embroidery: http://howardlanham.tripod.com/link7.htm

 

[Montana Jim]

Can you post a picture of the back please?

 

[FrankTM]

Wow nice find. Heres a link to a similiar one, what does the back look like?

http://www.civilwarpreservations.com/catdet.asp?TargetItem=IR357&CategoryType=Insignia2

Frank

 

[trk5capt]

Most Definitely ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, May Be A Part Of A GAR Reunion Badge. trk5capt...

 

[pike335]

sorry, cant seem to be able to get a good pic of the writing.

 

[PBK]

I believe that the screwpost/thumbnut attachment, as shown, was first used on U.S. military insignia around 1897.