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Question on makers marks on USMC Officers bell crown hats


warguy
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I was researching some old threads on Marine Officers bell crowns and found a post where a nice 1912 summer officers cap was reviewed some time ago. That cap had what looks like a dated Horstman contract stamp on the back side of the leather sweatband. I included photos of that mark below. The stamp looks much like the contract markings seen on most EM bell crowns. Please let me know if you think this mark looks like something else. Interestingly, this cap was a khaki summer version so it had no liner inside. It appeared the cap had an exchangeable khaki cover on it, with the blue wool trim at the bottom of the cap frame.  Some of these khaki hats will have the cover as an integral part of the cap where no exchange can be made, (I think this was done earlier in the period-around 1912-1913 and is specifically mentioned in Jim Moran's book) others will have a frame where the color of the top can be exchanged-usually with a navy blue wool base at the bottom, where white, blue, and khaki covers can be worn. 

 

My question is....do Officers Marine Corps caps (1912 or 1917) ever have dated contract stamps or do they all always have private tailor maker marks? What about in the case of summer caps with no lining? The two officer bell crowns I have in my collection each have a nice tailor/maker stamp on the lining, (one Horstmann and one Jacob Reed and Sons) and I have read Officers caps were tailor made and privately purchased. Was this always the case? The cap I referred to in the thread above got good reviews from some knowledgeable folks here on the forum so I am just curious. Thanks in advance for the help. 

contract mark.png

contract mark 2.png

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Schnicklfritz

If I'm not mistaken, officer's during this time period had to purchase their uniforms and some equipment on their own outside of the depot system from private tailors. So I imagine that pretty much all officer's uniform items would have private purchased tailor's stamps/tags in them. It holds true to a few books I've read where the enlisted Marine became an officer and had to try to find a tailor to get his officer's uniforms made. It was a difficult task during WW1 with so many Marine officers seeking to get uniforms made. Not really sure what would have been issued to officers through the depot system though... perhaps "782" gear or what ever they referred to it as back then?

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Thanks that was my assumption as well. What is your take on the marking depicted above? Is that a contract mark do you think or a makers/tailors mark. I know it is not the most legible. If a contract mark, I would assume that in regards to that hat, perhaps an EM frame was used and an officer khaki cover placed on it. I have an EM wicker frame hat with the blue wool trim at the bottom that has an EM tan cotton cover on it, and it seems possible an officer might just place an officers cover on one of these once promoted or if an officers cover was unavailable or too expensive. Any thoughts?

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Schnicklfritz

It certainly looks like a contract stamp to me. The third line certainly looks like it says Contract. I wonder if the tan cover might be a modified enlisted cover? I could see a scenario where an enlisted Marine would use an enlisted frame for his officer's cap. I would have to do some digging, but one of the Marines in the AEF that went from enlisted to officer mentioned how difficult it was not only to procure funds for uniforms, but also in getting uniforms at all. It took several months to get his uniforms.

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