Nice hat device in found in Columbia, SC

[screlichunter]

I dug this item in the same lot along with a lead canning lid from marked 1854 and a few Henry casings. It appears to of had a iron pin on the back that has been rusted through the copper/brass/bronze(??). Through my limited investigation I know that it is a New York state coat of arms.

This item is 1 3/8" tall by 1 1/8" wide.

Does anyone have any idea notion that it may be a civil war hat device

Any clue would be great!!!

Thanks again!!!

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

The insignia you found is a solid-cast brass emblem, or a lead-filled stamped brass emblem. Military hat-insignia tend to be stamped brass with no lead filler in the back. (Except for small-size single Company letters and Regiment numbers.) See the photo at the end of this post. Your New York State Seal emblem is very unlikely to be a hat-insignia.

Your emblem appears to have grey metal filling its back. If that's what it is, please let me know, and I'll do some more research.

Also as you see in the crossed-cannons photo, hat-insignia tend to be attached to the hat by two or more small wires, or small wire-loops. Are there any small wires on your emblem's back. I seem to see one, at lower right. Also, I seem to see a linear impression on the back's left edge, where another wire may have once been embedded, but is now missing. Additional photos of your emblem's back would help.

Your NY State Seal emblem has enameled colors. That tends not to be a characteristic of civil war era State Seal emblems made to be worn on clothing, so I have to lean toward your emblem being from sometime after the civil war era. But like I said, addtional photos and research are needed.

(Note: I've modified this post to add more info to it.)

 

[screlichunter]

Hey thanks for the input I will upload some more detailed images shortly.

 

[Michellets]

Nice pin... the enamel work on that pin looks to be hand painted.... it also seems to me that I can see ships with sails in the design....That might help date the pin to a period before steam ships... HH M

 

[Michellets]

I'm hoping that some other people here will take a look at this pin and that it can be ID'ed. The enamel work looks like old enamel work, and the pin does look old, but is it a costume pin or a piece of military wear? I personally find it more interesting that some of the other pins that are posted on here..... Have at it folks......
HH M.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Michellets wrote:
> I'm hoping that some other people here will take a look at this pin and that it can be ID'ed.

I'm hampered by the Original Poster's 50-hour delay in providing the additional photos which are needed for a more-specific ID -- and he said he would provide "shortly." As you see, we are all still waiting for the additional photos.

I also asked him to tell me whether or not the object's back has "grey-metal filling" (as it seems to in the single photo of the back). Still waiting for that info.

> The enamel work looks like old enamel work, and the pin does look old, but is it a costume pin or a piece of military wear?

I believe it is not a "costume pin" (meaning, civilian-use), because all it shows is the New York State Seal ...and "pure" State Seal insignia tend not to be worn by civilians. Civilian use is of course possible, but I think highly unlikely in this case, because the pin (or whatever it is) was dug in Columbia SC, not somewhere in NY State.

I should mention that this pin definitely has the 1882-and-later version of the NY State Seal. Among other details, this pin shows the eagle standing on a globe (which is hard to see on this pin, but it's there). Also, the pin shows ships on the water. On the 1790s-to-1881 version of the NY State Seal, there is no globe for the eagle to stand on, and no ships on the water. To see photos of civil war (and earlier) NY State Militia uniform buttons, and read the info about the 1882-revised version of the Seal, view the Albert button-book and the Tice button-book.

 

[Breezie]

From what I can see from the 1st pic, the center portion is cloisonne. I'm thinking it is a lapel pin. Nice find, Breezie

 

[DialM]

Could it be from the Excelsior Brigade? Civil war brigade from New York.
edit: bahhh, nevermind.