Is this a rare or scarce uniform?

[aerialbridge]

Pretty cool looking. Seller appears to be a book seller, not militaria.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-US-Army-Indian-Wars-M1872-Blue-Wool-Dress-Uniform-Tunic-Frock-Cap-Nice/352971555536?_trkparms=aid%3D333200%26algo%3DCOMP.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20171011185446%26meid%3D9ffd1646754a4aa2ad83e4e5b97f4e1c%26pid%3D100168%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D174179929549%26itm%3D352971555536%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D5411%26algv%3DItemStripV3&_trksid=p5411.c100168.m2941

 

 

[manayunkman]

The link isn’t working for me.

 

Can anyone post a picture ?

[aerialbridge]

The link isn’t working for me.

 

Can anyone post a picture ?

 

Manay, the description is

Antique US Army Indian Wars M1872 Blue Wool Dress Uniform Tunic Frock & Cap Nice

 

[Brian Dentino]

The link isn’t working for me.

 

Can anyone post a picture ?

 

[suwanneetrader]

Hope this posts OK Richard

[museums]

The chevrons are applied in the wrong direction for the 19th century. Until 1902 they should have pointed down, not up. I'm assuming these were applied later by someone more familiar with modern uniforms?

[manayunkman]

Now the link works.

 

What year is the jacket by itself from?

[mds308]

My shipping charge includes shipping.

 

 

This is in his description. I thought that was a little bit funny.

[museums]

The artillery projectile patch for a gunner is also upside-down, and was authorized in this form from 1896-1907.

The single red chevron under the gold SGT chevron seems peculiar there in that position too.

[museums]

The cap looks like a M1895. I'd guess the jacket (without looking more closely at details ) as M1885/1887.

[mds308]

The only thing I can date are the buttons. The backs date them from 1880 - 1892.

[manayunkman]

Was there a transition period where some kept wearing their older uniforms?

 

After WWII all kinds of uniforms and insignia got mixed up during transition periods.

[agate hunter]

These 1885 pattern dress blues were worn by the Coast Artillery til at least 1909, thus there were many upgrades to them through the early years (1902 buttons added, 1902 chevrons added, large chevrons sewn point-up as in this example, for the 1902 regulations, etc).
The strange thing about it is that the first style 1st Class Gunner's patch (worn from about 1897 to 1907) is sewn upside down (should be projectile up), and it was only to be worn on the right sleeve, not the left one as shown here. The oddest thing is that there appears to be red 1902 chevrons (either one-stripe lance corporal or Cpl?) underneath the large 1870s style chevrons, I've never seen something like that before.
I looked the name Baulig up and couldn't find any good source for army enlistment records indicating that name being attached to a Coast Artillery Company. And being that it lacks the collar insignia, hard to tell what company this man may have been attached to.

[gwb123]

Theater costume?

[agate hunter]

There really isn't anything rare or scarce about this uniform as far as I can tell. It's worth a sum of the parts, about 400 for the tunic due to condition, another 200 for the cap and insignia. When I look at these 1885 and 1902 dress blues I prefer to have them named and researchable if I'm going to give a lot for them. Or at least have hard to find insignia combinations.
I just bought an 1885 artillery dress blue coat named to a Pvt who served at Ft Stevens in Oregon from 1902-05, paid a bit, even though no insignia, though the name and company number is written inside, and I've confirmed that information with records. Being a private with one enlistment, no chevrons would have been worn, only metal US and crossed cannon collar insignia.

Here is an example of a 1885 coat worn by a Coast Artillery Sgt Major from Ft Worden, WA, on display at the Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum. Note the 1902 upgrades to this uniform, consisting of new 1902 buttons, and the older style chevrons worn point up, in accordance with new 1902 regulations.

[manayunkman]

It’s also so small it doesn’t fit the torso.

[agate hunter]

Here is another example of an 1885 dress blue coat with 1902 upgrades, this is a uniform from my collection. Both the uniforms shown belonged to the same 1st Sgt who served in the 30th Company at Ft Worden, WA. His 1885 coat has 1902 regulation 1st Sgt chevrons. The buttons are the 1880s style. Collar insignia would have been worn as well, but was not present when I bought the uniforms. There are indications where his service stripes would have been on his 1885 coat, so he removed those (about 1909 when I did the math on the amount of stripes present) and put them on his newly acquired 1902 dress blue uniform.

 

 

 

[agate hunter]

I saw this uniform is stamped "Baulig" too, maybe the inspector's name??

http://www.mcpheetersantiquemilitaria.com/07_uniform_hats/07_item_017.htm

[Bob Hudson]

It's worth a sum of the parts, about 400 for the tunic due to condition, another 200 for the cap and insignia.

 

Sold for just over $200 -

 

[manayunkman]

That’s cheap no matter what!!

[Bob Hudson]

I saw this uniform is stamped "Baulig" too, maybe the inspector's name??

 

http://www.mcpheetersantiquemilitaria.com/07_uniform_hats/07_item_017.htm

 

It's the name of the company that made them: Theodore F. Baulig, Egg Harbor City, N. J.

[Bob Hudson]

That’s cheap no matter what!!

 

Yeah, at just over $250 including shipping it was a bargain.