Military Pin Help Crossed Rifles with Letters & Number

Hi,
These came in a box-lot from an auction today and I'm trying to figure them out.
6 pins, 1 1/2" in length. I think these are for infantry, but wonder if they are reproductions. Maybe for wearing on the collar!
Any info appreciated.
thanks for looking.

 

New York 8th Infantry (or 1st Infantry for the one with a 1 on top) with the letters standing for the various lettered Companies. Odd that you found so many different ones and only 1 pair.

 

It just occurred to me - what the heck would US Civil War era uniform devices (probably repro) be doing up in your neck of the woods?

 

There's no wear or age marks on those at all. Maybe a Reinactor had them?

 

Probably (although he'd only need that variety if he was supplying a group methinks) - but cxgirl lives in Canada.

 

Thanks bakers & evelyb30! Yes, I wondered if maybe for reenactment. I did find another one in a mixed lot, link posted below, but no information on it.

http://www.lotnut.com/app/item.html?guid=44c6a481-af36-470b-8e30-addcdc2a0f68

 

I notice a cotter pin was used on one of them as a repair

I see just the one with the pins, I wonder why the others don't have fasteners? Do they slide onto another piece?

 

Hi Shiloh, the one has cotter pins in place of fasteners, the others are just missing the fasteners.

 

Thanks Cx....I opened my trap before I studied the other pins

 

I had an original one. In my opinion, without seeing them in person, I'd guess these were reproduced for re-enactments. I work with a group of Minutemen re-enactors and I've seen the items that they purchase. There is no appreciable wear on these. If they were original and had belonged to a collector, the reason for so many different unit pins in one place, they would all have different wear patterns. They are too consistent.

 

I don't think they are reproductions, my rationale being that there are lots of such original collar insignia around, and I don't think there's a financial incentive (aka "market") for reproductions of these. They may well post-date the ACW. There is no wear seen on these because many orig NOS examples are avail on the market, some still on the cardboard sheets they we're put on at the factory. I am thinking this type was used up to about 1898, but uniform stuff isn't my field.

 

If you want the nth detail on these, post on the Company of Military Historians forum, with link back to here if u want them to see all pix as that site only allows one pic per post. Of crs u can put replies each with one pic.

 

thanks spring, I'll post to the forum and see what they have to say.

 

If you get any extra info, can you come back to this thread and post an up-date?

 

Will do Wendy - I've signed up and just waiting for approval.

 

Hmmm, sry, public used to be able to post there with questions, with no mgt intervention, if you don't get "approved" in a day or so rattle my cage and I'll either steer u into that portal if it still exists or just post a link back to this board and ask 4 help.

 

These are late 1800s, the crossed rifle insignia being adopted in 1875. I'm pretty sure the inclusion of the regiment and company didn't occur until the 1890s. During the Civil War the infantry used a horn as its insignia.

 

I would guess that this is a collection of Infantry officers insignia from the NY National Guard from the 1910-1925 time period with a number of different companies (the Letters) and the different regiments (the numbers) that made up the NY National guard.

 

Thanks Tim and der_adler1! I forgot about this thread.
Using 'National Guard' I was able to find others,(not NY) but they have a pin closure on the backs and were dated WW1.
I did post this on the forum spring recommended but didn't get a reply.

 

I did post this on the forum spring recommended but didn't get a reply.

Yep I noticed-seems an easy enuf question for them, but... I am still 95%+ certain they are original for same reasons as mentioned before-there are so many originals available-and unissued ones at that-there is no reason for anyone to bother with reproducing them.