1878 L.A.V. A. BATTERY 1st CARBINE AWARD - CIVIL WAR ERA TROPHY?

What is this?! I found it at a local thrift store today - I saw the glass base didn't belong to the top & almost set it back down, but when I saw inscription... I got excited!

Do I have something special here?
What is it?
Is it silver?
I appreciate any help.

 

It looks like silver

Interesting, but I wouldn't expect people to fight over it for too many dollars

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/132583870484?rmvSB=true

 

You didn't give size, but judging from your hand, I'm going to say Butter tub.

Looks like the lid fits properly. The lid may have been specially made to go with the bottom.

 

Civil war ended in 1865

 

L.A.V appears to be Civil War
Looks like an award for shooting.

I don't have time to do a better search. I've found 2 batteries, just not yours.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_U.S._Light_Artillery,_Battery_I
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_B,_1st_New_York_Light_Artillery

 

Maybe should say the group formed in the civil war.

 

I haven't found anything for this but I'm getting British sources when I search for "1st L.A.V." (and Terry's link is to the UK eBay site) -- So if the L.A. is for Light Artillery, can somebody tell me what the V. stands for?

Looking at this source from 1863, I believe even more that this might be British. This is the annual report of the National Rifle Association of England (published in London, not the U.S. organization of the same name).

https://books.google.com/books?id=Z...AAQAQ#v=onepage&q="1st carbine prize"&f=false

 

Volunteers

British would likely have maker's mark

I found a similar texted award in OZ

Possible name / unit name matches in Illinois

 

Thanks very much!

But I just did a search that found something in Google Books that might refer to this award.

In the Illustrated London News, 11 October 1879 -- and I realize the piece is engraved with 1878. But I think the article refers to the same competition but perhaps a year later.

https://books.google.com/books?id=B5xQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA344&lpg=PA344&dq="captain+adams"+"gunner+taylor&source=bl&ots=ZLy80if2ww&sig=ACfU3U2KeH5N4P15VznvTA3ewjo4btyQrQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwis0qDv4dngAhUnxYMKHaUbDPEQ6AEwB3oECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q="captain adams" "gunner taylor&f=false

The text says "In the month of September there were twenty resignations of volunteer commissions and forty four appointments a net gain of fifteen for the month. In eleven months of the volunteer year just expired there been 743 resignations and 687 new appointments. This a net loss of only fifty six very much less than under circumstances had been anticipated. ln the competition of 1st London Artillery Volunteers A Battery took place at on the ith inst. In the first series offered by the commanding officer of the battery and friends the winners Gunner Taylor Sergeant Snook Sergeant Major Berry Bombardier Curling. In the second series by Trumpet Hammond and Gunners Tombleson and Fennel Battery Club prizes by Quartermaster Gray Captain Adams and Sergeant Snook. Other prizes were won by Messrs Snook Berry Gray Beard and Taylor." (Sorry for bad punctuation in the above, which was copied and pasted from a scan.)

 

And I also agree that if the piece is British it should be marked. But let's say the lid actually went on a different piece that was metal. Is it possible the original bottom was marked? Also, do we know for sure that the lid has no marks?-- I do think what I found is possibly from the same competition, but a year later.

 

figtree3 -By jove I think you got it!
Thank you all!

 

Wait a minute! My brain just turned on - at first thought this was a civil war piece but when I read British I thought revolutionary war - but that was 100 years earlier; so were the British involved in anything during this period? (If they are announcing soldiers leaving & joining their army's strength must have been news worthy for a reason, right?

 

Looks like silverplate to me, especially with what appears to be stamped decoration - if solid silver, would bear hallmarks on the top as well on the base. For what it's worth, unless the lid doesn't actually fit as well as the pics seem to show, believe the glass tub is also likely original (there may have also been an underplate).

As already pointed out, this 1878 piece would have nothing to do with the American Civil War; and though the dating is clearly indicated, by style, it would also have nothing to do with the Revolutionary War era. Not sure if you're trying to connect it to a particular war for some reason, but at that time, the British Empire was widespread, with their substantial military forces posted to all their colonies - a quick search finds British conflicts in Afghanistan and Africa at that time, but not sure what that would have to do with this piece. Figtree seems to have found your information...

~Cheryl

 

The one I linked was not war related. It was a contest among members of a volunteer unit. I'm not familiar with the history of volunteer military units in Great Britain.

The contest about which I linked was happening in ... it looks like it says Stainos? Not sure where that was. The pdf is too unclear. It appears to be a marksman or sharpshooting contest. There is no reason why there had to be a war going on. Think about today in the U.S. ... there are troops who are Active, or Reserve all of the time. They are not always deployed but they still have to meet once in a while, even the Reserve troops. One of my relatives was in the Army Reserve for many years and had to report once a month(?) to a place where they did practices and exercises. And once a year had to go to a military base for a couple of weeks.

 

I found another copy of the article through a subscription database to which I have access. The location of the contest was Staines. I believe that is the town listed as Staines-Upon-Thames in this Wikipedia article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staines-upon-Thames

 

Thank you - I thought there might have been a war 0r something because the article needed to mention the number of net gain soldiers there was that month - it said x amount of soldiers in and x amount out for a gain of so many soldiers

 

The turnover appears to be on account of a cheapskate

"In 1873 the 1st London AVC became part of the 1st Administrative Brigade of Middlesex Artillery Volunteers under the command of Walmisley. Artillery Volunteer units proved expensive to maintain, and the Secretary of State for War, Edward Cardwell refused to pay for the upkeep of horses, harness and field-guns from the annual capitation grant. As a result, many Volunteer Field artillery units were wound up in the 1870s"

 

Thanks! Looks like this is from Wikipedia? Which article? Thank you --