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12TH/20TH Corps Cavalry Badge


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I suspect this corps badge was made by B.T. Hayward of NY. It's not marked but tests to be sterling and measures 1 1/4" x 1 3/8".

Does anyone know if it's Civil War or a GAR era badge?

 

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Steve Rogers

It certainly looks like the badge Hayward advertised. Phillips shows two that he calls "variants" of the badge Hayward advertises. One of them is pretty much a dead match for yours with the same heavy engraving in the points of the start and cursory lines indicating grips on the sabers, etc. I suspect that since they are not maker marked he simply did not want to commit on it being specifically a Hayward product, but given how close it is to the Hayward advertisement I think you could call it that. The one in the advertisement shows cursory engraving in the points, but has a border like yours, cursory engraving on the grips and lower blades of the sabers and the same small hash marks on one blade where it is crossed by the other.

 

Phillips did not date the advertisement he pictures, but some nosing around in the army and navy journal, etc., would likely turn up the advertisement and give you a firmer date. I think it is certainly wartime rather than GAR. The advertisements will give you a tighter date.

 

I would call it a cavalry badge rather than a 12/20th badge. Generally speaking the cavalry was early on gathered into its own organizations in the different armies and departments and only small detachments were attached to army corps headquarters as escorts, messengers, etc.

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It certainly looks like the badge Hayward advertised. Phillips shows two that he calls "variants" of the badge Hayward advertises. One of them is pretty much a dead match for yours with the same heavy engraving in the points of the start and cursory lines indicating grips on the sabers, etc. I suspect that since they are not maker marked he simply did not want to commit on it being specifically a Hayward product, but given how close it is to the Hayward advertisement I think you could call it that. The one in the advertisement shows cursory engraving in the points, but has a border like yours, cursory engraving on the grips and lower blades of the sabers and the same small hash marks on one blade where it is crossed by the other.

 

Phillips did not date the advertisement he pictures, but some nosing around in the army and navy journal, etc., would likely turn up the advertisement and give you a firmer date. I think it is certainly wartime rather than GAR. The advertisements will give you a tighter date.

 

I would call it a cavalry badge rather than a 12/20th badge. Generally speaking the cavalry was early on gathered into its own organizations in the different armies and departments and only small detachments were attached to army corps headquarters as escorts, messengers, etc.

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Thanks your help on this one Steve!

 

I've been looking for a copy of Stan Phillips book. It's expensive, but worth it considering all the reproduction civil war badges out there.

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  • 5 months later...
The Badge Maker

Hello:

 

I am the owner of www.civilwarcorpsbadges.com where I make reproductions of all Corps badges and historical insignia from the Civil War. The badge in question is indeed correct to the ad. However it is not Cavalry nor 12/20th Corps but simply a style of ID Badge sold for private purchase. I found an original engraved with the info of a member of the PVI Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. Therefore it could have been worn by any soldier able to acquire it. There also are images of soldiers wherein this badge on my website under the metal badges tab. Hope this helps.

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Steve Rogers

Yup, as a commercially produced piece anybody could buy it if they liked the style.Your infantry guy must have liked the martial element of the crossed sabers.

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  • 1 month later...

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