This is scarce GAR officer’s medal with the flag ribbon bordered in buff, indicating a national officer, rank bar bearing a silver eagle on a deep blue ground indicating a staff officer, likely the Assistant Adjutant General or an aide de camp, with the ribbon in the top position indicating it is a currently held office.

The brass has lots of bright gilt left on it. The flag ribbon is excellent. The star has the insignia of Hancock’s, Sheridan’s and Wilson’s corps on the reverse points, indicating it is the 1886 Type-5 pattern. The only defect we see is some loss to the silvering of the eagle in recesses and a depression in the lower right corner of the central blue ground of the miniature shoulder strap, which looks like something pressed against it enough to disturb the surface and leave an impression, but did not chip out the color, touch the edge of shoulder strap or affect the reverse.

The G.A.R. was a powerful veteran’s organization founded in 1866, reaching its highpoint in membership of more than 400,000 in 1890, and dissolved in 1956 with the death of its last member. Badges of its national officers are naturally the scarcest, followed by department and post officers from the numbers involved at each level.  [sr] [ph:m]

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