Colonel’s coats are hard to come by. Just in terms of numbers, an infantry regiment might field thirty line officers, and artillery or cavalry regiment even more, but only one colonel. Even on staff duty, most positions at the brigade, division, or even corps level would be filled by officers of lower rank. This frock coat is fully regulation, with standing collar, two rows of seven buttons each on the breast indicating a field-grade officer, four buttons on the rear waist and tails, and three smaller buttons on each cuff. Bullion embroidered colonel’s eagle shoulder straps, scarce in themselves, are mounted on the shoulders. These are single bordered, with the jaceron wire in place on the outer and inner edges. Spread-winged American eagles with U.S. shields on their breasts and clutching arrows and olive branches are embroidered in high relief on velvet centers. The jaceron wire still shows gold, the bullion embroidery of the borders and eagles has oxidized to a muted silver from age. The color of the ground has shifted to a yellowish brown. This is a color we sometimes see on cavalry straps, but is likely an oxidized black. This would match the general staff buttons used on the coat, though we note they are not uncommon on field grade coats in any branch of service.

The condition is very good, about excellent. The color is strong and the coat is solid, stable, and looks great on a form. We see some opening to seams where the thread has given way, (one pleat at the waist, lower right front; left arm seam at rear above the elbow, etc.,) but no holes or missing material, one short and narrow 1” mended tear near the back seam that is practically invisible, and only a half-dozen or so pencil point moth nips overall that you have to hunt hard to find. The buttons are all general staff, with those on the front showing restitching and mixed back marks. Those at the rear waist may have been resewn also. Those at the bottom of the tail pocket openings and the smaller cuff buttons seem to have their original thread, and would be less subject to use, wear, or loss.

The interior is typical Civil War construction for an officer’s coat: fully lined in what is now a green colored silk, quilted in the chest and sides, with a single pocket in the left breast. The tail pockets are accessible from the outside. The pockets themselves, usually of fragile polished cotton, are gone, likely shredded in use, but this is not obvious from the exterior and is hidden by the lining on the inside. The white sleeve linings are in place and fully intact. As an extra sign of quality in the tailoring, the cuffs, which are functional, have a three-inch wide red lining, now oxidized slightly toward a pink. As is natural in a coat actually worn, there is some wear to the lining and some small holes at points of greatest contact- at the hips, waist, chest, etc., along with some natural wear to the buttonholes. We note just three interior moth nips- two pencil point ones at the top of the left lapel and one slightly larger, ¼” just above bottom buttonhole on the same side. These do not show on the exterior. The shoulder straps show a small separation of bullion border strands in the strap on the wearer’s right shoulder and one small and one longer, ¼”, on the border of the left. These come from the straps having been folded when the coat was stored, something not unusual. The smaller ones will close up somewhat when the coat is mounted on form. The other blends in pretty well as the underlying cord is dark, matching somewhat the velvet ground.

This coat displays great, would show off impressively on a form and more so when equipped with sash and sword belt. As a scarce rank of any branch of service, it would also likely fill a gap in a collection of officer’s uniforms.  [sr] [ph:L]

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