Always check the pockets!

[gwb123]

I've found matches, aspirins, and candy paper in pockets and I found a couple of faucet screens in a Nam canteen once.

 

Picked up an 8th Infantry Ike jacket with PFC stripes and the trousers a few weeks back. Both are dated 1956. Hoping for some paperwork or something to ID the uniform in a pocket, since I did find a separation paper in an Ike once.

 

Feeling the outside of the pockets real quick and I felt some paper in the trousers. Here's the find after I flattened it out in a book.

 

I used an inflation calculator for the newest and crispest bill (1957) and it came out to $77.12 for 2016. That 9 bucks was a lot of money for a PFC.

 

 

I am sure you noticed those were Silver Certificates as well. Very neat!

[Mitter2k1]

I guess since the last time I participated in this thread I have a bit of luck. I purchased 3 WWI uniforms that all yielded some sort of prize. One was a pre-1900 dog tag to a guy whose name matched the name inside the coat. I have fully researched the guy and can find everything about him except his WWI service. He even spent some time in Cuba with the 7th Cavalry from 1899 to 1902. The next coat had a button that was broken that the seller put in the pocket with the loop and ring. Upon further inspection, it turned out to be a locket. Last but not least was the extra wool WWI engineer PFC patch that came in a 1st Army coat. Later when I got it home I discovered a spare honorable discharge chevron and a trimmed down wagoner patch. I am still not sure why he had that one.

 

-Mike

 

[hardheaded]

 

 

I am sure you noticed those were Silver Certificates as well. Very neat!

 

Thanks! Yep, I noticed. When I pulled the wad out it was folded in half with the 5 on the outside. I slowly lifted each bill one at a time thinking come on 20 but it was a 1, 1, 1, and 1. LOL Still happy though!

 

[VMI88]

The next coat had a button that was broken that the seller put in the pocket with the loop and ring. Upon further inspection, it turned out to be a locket.

Could you show more photos of the locket? I like it a lot!

[bellasilva]

Wish I had a picture of it, and it's not nearly as "cool" as some of the stuff others have found, but I own a 50's Era class A set and HBT to to a soldier who was one of the 8,509 Army personnel deployed to Lebanon in 1958. After having this set for a while I noticed a bulge in a back pocket and pulled out a very used handkerchief (I know), and a garrison cap, nicely named on the leather sweatband to the same soldier. Again not as glamorous as some but I thought it was neat

[Shakethetrees]

A while back I lucked into a yard sale that was not advertised. The guys father was a WWII/KW era Marine. I almost filled the bed of my pickup truck, bought everything except for the dress blues, medals, and saber. The family wanted to keep them.

 

But, lots and lots of field gear and winter parkas, liners, etc.

 

I get the stuff home and immediately begin going through the pockets. Nothing in the first two, but a fleece field jacket liner with slash pockets had a slight bulge, so I reached in and, tony horror, was something soft, cold and damp.

 

It was a rotting dead mouse, probably not dead for more than a few days.

 

So, be careful when thrusting your hands into unknown territory!

[Mitter2k1]

Could you show more photos of the locket? I like it a lot!

 

Sure thing. Here is a photo of the front and back. The back is marked Liberty MFG Co. Los Angeles, Cal. Pats. Pend. If you look at the front shot of the button, the section between the feet where the edge looks slightly deformed is where the hinge is located.

 

Thanks,

Mike

 

[VMI88]

Thanks - the locket is really nice. I've seen collar disk lockets before but never a button.

[LtRGFRANK]

My son bought a bedroll and when he got it home and unrolled it was stuffed full on the mans personal items

[Mitter2k1]

Thanks - the locket is really nice. I've seen collar disk lockets before but never a button.

Thank you. Too bad the ring was pulled out of the back of the button. Oh well, at least I still have it in case I decide to repair it.

 

Mike

[General Apathy]

.

I have had several finds over the years . . . . . .

 

About ten years ago at the show of shows I bought a musette bag and in one of the two internal pockets my finger was pricked by something sharp, turned out to be a brass two piece British escape button, and it was the pin that the button would be placed on that stabbed my finger.

 

In a service coat I found a Pepsi-Cola ticket, on presentation it allowed any serviceman a bottle of Pepsi for 5cents, nice little historical detail. . . . . . . .

 

I can't recall where I bought a WWII serviceman's private purchase shaving set in an OD colored canvas roll, but upon inspecting it at home the Colgate Bakelite container for the shaving soap actually contained a chocolate bar silver wrapper containing a soft Moroccan gold smoking herb . . . . . . . . Possibly he served in North Africa.

 

I know there have been other things but these are just a few I could quickly recall.

 

Lewis.

 

.

[TheMariner]

I havent found much because I'm not much of a uniform buyer, but one uniform i found had all his extra patches ww2 AAF patch and collar disks. The second uniform i bought that contained items was at a local consignment shop, it was a late 40s ike jacket but the price was right sadly all insignia had been stripped, in one of the pockets i found all of the SSI's and the rank insignia so i bought it! Nothing special but a few nice little extras i found!

[Shakethetrees]

Another estate sale find was a musette bag that had some ribbons and several small odds and ends in the internal divider pockets. A woman I sometime go to sales with asked about the small external pocket with the button flap. I said these were where soldiers would put their condoms. Sure enough, I opened it and found two!

 

About twenty years ago I bought a Class A Officers jacket that had a CBI patch on the sleeve from a second hand clothing shop that I had developed as a contact. They bought from rag pickers where clothing would be randomly bundled up and sold by weight.

 

As the bundle was still intact when I went to her shop, she cut it open and pulled toe coat out and sold it on the spot. When I got home I found a bullion 14th AF patch, some Chinese wings and theater made BoS insignia tucked away here and there. All in all, a good day, IMHO! One day I will post pictures when things get settled. Unfortunately, no name.

[Brig]

I'm not a big uniform collector so haven't found much, but did find a lucky dime in an early Air Force jacket, some wool gloves in an Army overcoat, and a church program in a Marine officers tans

[ghost]

You guys are lucky. In the years I have been collecting I have found almost enough tobacco to roll one cigarette. Honestly though I never found anything more than a few spare ribbons.