This is a good early war pistol cartridge box for both .36 and .44 caliber revolvers. The boxes show up in three different sizes, which have more to do with the configuration of the ammunition packs supplied by the government than the caliber of the pistols. The attachment of the latch tab by a single straight line of stitching is an indicator of the date, as is the intermediate size of the box.

Constructed of brown leather, the box has some scattered darker spotting or stains and some minor abrasions, but is complete and solid. The belt loops, latch tab, and the interior leather flaps that held the cartridge packs in place by friction are all present. There on no maker’s marks visible, just the asterisk stake marks used by the maker to close up holes made by tacks used to keep the leather on wood forming blocks while it was sewn. (Some of these early boxes had ink maker stamps on the inside of the flap that are easily obliterated.)

On the flap is a small stamped brass enlisted artillery insignia, mounted by simply pushing its four small brass fastening loops through the flap. The size and style of the crossed cannons suggests this is an 1870s or 1880s pattern insignia, likely applied by a postwar militia unit or, more likely, by an early re-enactor who wanted to dress up a real Civil War cartridge box, something you could afford to do in the old days when they were 25 or 50 cents apiece straight out of the government surplus shipping crate. We have left it as is, but the insignia could be removed and the holes disguised nicely for display.  [sr]

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