Kentucky Guard pin

[mojjax]

Any info on this pin ? Age ? Meaning ? Thanks !

 

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[Ant]

Cross rifles stand for Infantry when dealing with the Military. The KG might stand for Kentucky Guard. And that type of fastener goes on a Hat. It must be some kind of Hate Badge.

 

[Montana Jim]

Ant is correct... US Army Infantry hat badge.

Its the Indian Wars Era M1874 Infantry Crossed Rifles. (See Update)

No idea about the KG, but I guess Kentucky Guard is as good a guess as anything and newer collar brass that says KG might help pinpoint that.

I'm not sure that screw type pin is on original equipment whereas it usually had four straight pins soldered on the back of hat badges...

UPDATE: I found the same with an "WC" on top... it was identified as Spanish American War era... with the screw back.

 

[Angelo]

Hurry up JIM!

Kind of busy today and want to know if it's Kentucky or Kansas before I start working.

Tony

 

[Montana Jim]

Hurry up JIM!

Kind of busy today and want to know if it's Kentucky or Kansas before I start working.

Tony

Go to work Tony... I'm done

 

[Felinepeachy]

Is it gold?

 

[KirkTN]

Good lookin find. Is it modern day for reenactment or is it cw?

KirkTN

 

[mojjax]

I was thinking Kentucky , because those rifles look similar to Kentucky Long Rifles .
I don't think it's gold Peachy (I wish!)

 

[Kentucky Kache]

Maybe it's KGC and the C fell off. NOT!
Good find whatever it is.

 

[Ramitt]

I am assuming this came from the same source as the KG pin ( http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,136637.0.html ) that I believe is Kansas related.  The style of crossed rifles dates it between 1878 and some time before WWI as from wwhat I gather the style changed sometime before WWI. though being a Guard Unit perhaps they continued use of the older style into and perhaps past WWI.  If it is releated to the 10 year Kansas Guard service pin, dated 1932 that would have to be the case ?
A little info on the crossed rifle insignia can be found here.
http://www.forensicgenealogy.info/contest_79_results.html

Edit:  Found this site identifying similar style crossed rifles (#126) as being WWII 501st PIR, there is also a set that has the post WWI look there as well (135), so perhaps it continued to be used for some time or they have mis identified the pin as bening related to the 501st during the time it was Airborne.  I have not found anything refering to a 501st infantry before WWII, if one had existed I would have thought that its history would have been tied to the current 501st PIR.
http://www.nbrhd.net/Insignia/InsigniaHome.shtml

 

[Ramitt]

Ok figured out my confusion over the rifle styles.

Branch Insignia: Two gold color crossed muskets, vintage 1795 Springfield musket, 3/4 inch in height.



Crossed muskets were first introduced into the Army as the insignia of officers and enlisted men of the Infantry on 19 November 1875 (War Department General Order No. 96 dtd 19 Nov 1875) to take effect on or before 1 June 1876. Numerous attempts in the earlier years were made to keep the insignia current with the ever changing styles of rifles being introduced into the Army. However, in 1924 the branch insignia was standardized by the adoption of crossed muskets and the 1795 model Springfield Arsenal musket was adopted as the standard musket to be used. This was the first official United States shoulder arm, made in a government arsenal, with interchangeable parts, caliber .69, flint lock, smooth bore, muzzle loader. The standardized musket now in use was first suggested by Major General Charles S. Farnsworth, U.S. Army, while he was the first Chief of Infantry, in July 1921, and approved by General Pershing, Chief of Staff, in 1922. The device adopted in 1922 has been in continual use since 1924. There have been slight modifications in the size of the insignia over the years; however, the basic design has remained unchanged.

http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/branches/Infantry.htm

 

[ashleysflyr]

As said before, Ant was right on, just wanted to throw these in the mix, one is cross rifles with numbers and letters, one is official Army Infantry insignia, and the other is back of cap device to show you the fastener. I will ask my friend in the Kansas guard tomorrow if he knows he KG...don't see them with letters on top very often, usually nubers on top and letters on bottom, but as mentioned before, it does happen...usually in older stuff. I'm more of a cav guy myself

~Tom

P.S. Doesn't look very well done, not very symmetric, K is closer to center than the G, making it lower. The Army likes symmetry. Could be custom made (K and G added to standard Army Infantry insignia)...just a thought.