This bullion embroidered oval badge is the regulation insignia worn on the full dress epaulet by a member of the army’s medical department or medical staff: a gilt laurel wreath surrounding the silver letters ”MS” for medical staff in Old English. This would be worn on the shoulder end of the epaulet inside the gilt brass crescent, and is uses the same gold bullion background as the strap of the epaulet on a thick pad with a gilt jaceron wire border.

By the sheer number and proportion of officers involved, anything medical related in the Civil War collecting field is scarce. At the regimental level only one surgeon and one assistant surgeon were authorized for a regiment at the beginning of the war and this was expanded only by a second assistant surgeon in the latter part of 1862, leaving material related to them ten times rarer at least. Needless to say, they were essential to a regiment in camp and on the battlefield, where they were frequently under fire at advanced aid stations and even at higher level brigade and division hospitals were not far from the front lines.

This is a high quality piece insignia using a thick pad with a gilt jaceron wire border and the wreath formed of bullion embroidery accented with coiled wire and sequins, and the knot at bottom accented with a few strands of the silver embroidery also used to form the letters. The condition is excellent. The jaceron wire has sprung slightly on one edge, but is complete and could be tacked back in place. The back is open, showing the underlying base for embroidery and the stitching. The back shows a few small moth nips, etc., but as with shoulder straps there may never have been a backing covering the entire reverse. The face is beautiful, shows no losses and has very good color, just a little dust or soiling from storage and no oxidation. These were usually attached to the epaulet with simple straight pins for easy removal, cleaning and storage in the epaulet tin, from which they are now usually missing. This one looks great, would really add to a Civil War medical display and possibly complete a set of medical insignia. We show an illustration used by the famous retailers Schuyler, Hartley and Graham in their Civil War “Catalog of Arms and Military Goods.”    [sr] [PH:m]

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