Officer in an 1892 undress officer's coat, I believe from the 3rd Infantry of the North Carolina State Guard.  J.D. Brinkley was a photographer in Oxford, NC from 1890 to the 1920s at least.  Oxford was home to Company E, 3rd Infantry (Granville Grays) throughout the 1890s but they seemed to have a new 2nd Lieutenant every year.  From my understanding, the 1892 coat was replaced pretty quickly by the 1895.  Accounting that the Guard might lag a few years, my possible candidates before the Spanish-American War are the following.   W.D. Lynch - 1892 (no further service) W.H. Booth - 1893 (1st Lieutenant 1894) H.L. Skinner - 1894 (1st Lieutenant 1895, Captain 1896) J.O. Ellington - 1895 (1st Lieutenant 1896) W.H. Brill - 1896 and 1897  

And gasoline was .30 cents a gallon back then.🤣

I also noticed the first one is serrated on the end, but the second one isn't. 

Any idea on when they are from?

Just curious what do the pre war belts look like. Just wondering if the one I passed up was worth getting. 

I was going to ask how the original poster read the backmark. Scovill makes sense.

Let a true expert see it. Not a collector, someone who has examined numerous ones in national museums and 'good' collections and is intimately familiar with the specifications, cloth and patterns, manufacturing history, the messed with / unmessed with aspect of the piece itself, and so on. 5 buttons are my favorite military item after nearly 50 years. Most states were using them by the 1890's, emulating the US Army. I would say that 95% of those existing are the classic 1890 'pattern' and date from the 1898 war to the early 1900's, and of that 95%, more than half were made by private uniform companies for use by state or national guardsmen, officers, bands, and so on. The other half are mostly Spanish War period ie 1898-1902 era examples made under contracts for the US and various states. Maybe 5% of those existing were made by the quartermaster dept for the Army from the late 1890s to the early 1900's for issue to soldiers and veterans homes / hospitals etc. A lot of existing ones of all types have been gussied up by collectors over the decades with the addition of original easy to get chevrons, replacing buttons with older buttons, and even fake ink stamps and writing inside to give them a jazzy fantastic much earlier history. With an emphasis on cavalry of course. Then theres the sincere collectors who are just positive their Span Am era coat is really from a much earlier era and its difficult to be straight with them so a nod in agreement is appropriate. Overall,  the probable most likely time period for most is going to be 1898-1902ish 

those knives were also found in the officers field mess service for eight.

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to you as the Granddaughter of the Marine... my Grandfather’s Iwo Jima possessions once belonged — not as a collector and not with any expectation of entitlement, but simply as family, his Granddaughter 🤍 My life’s mission is to preserve and share my Grandfather’s legacy. I speak at American Legion posts, veterans’ organizations & museums to share his incredible legacy.  I volunteer my time and my graphic design skills to honor him, including volunteering for the Iwo Jima Association of America, where I will be speaking at their reunion this year along with other incredible legacy members.  When I share his story, I travel with his cherished belongings I do have and  displaying them so others can see, touch, and understand the cost of service and the meaning of sacrifice. I am SO PROUD.  These possessions are not memorabilia to me, not a collection. They are the last physical connection I have to my Grandfather who shaped my values, my love of country, and my deep respect for our veterans.  I would not be here today had my grandfather not survived 36 days of combat on Iwo Jima.  Last year, I raised the funds to travel to Iwo Jima thanks to all the incredible people who helped me raise the funds, where I honored him on the 80th anniversary of the battle, where I stood on the same ground my Grandfather once fought to survive. My Grandfather would never have wanted his belongings sold. Unfortunately, as his first Grandchild, I had no say in the estate sale. Family members were not permitted to retrieve items once they were listed & watching precious belongings of his legacy leave was heartbreaking. I have since learned that my one uncle believes my grandfather would have left these items to me had he known how devoted I would be to preserving and sharing his story. I do not expect anything to be handed to me. If the opportunity ever arose, I would save, fundraise or do whatever is necessary to purchase my Grandfather’s precious belongings back.  All I am asking for is the chance to be seen...  not as an interruption or an inconvenience.. but as a Granddaughter trying to reunite with my Grandfather's precious possessions and a piece of the history of my family. I hope you might one day be willing to see these items not only as part of a collection, but as a legacy still being actively carried forward by me, His Granddaughter.  I would be honored simply to speak with you, or to share the story of the Marine, my Grandfather behind the artifacts you now hold. If you could hear my words... or see the way I present his life and service... his legacy, I believe you would understand that my intentions come from the deepest place of respect and gratitude and love for my Grandfather. Thank you for taking the time to read this.  Regardless of your decision, I remain grateful that my Grandfather’s service has been preserved at all - and hopeful that one day, his legacy and his precious belongings might find their way back to me, his Granddaughter. I hope and pray your heart can see that my intentions are nothing but the purest, full of love and honor for my Grandfather. I am not chasing objects — I am protecting My Grandfather's legacy, and that kind of love and devotion is something no estate sale can ever take away from me. I love my Grandfather and I miss him so very much.  Please consider watching my speech honoring my Grandfather!  With sincere respect, Jessamyn Harter Granddaughter of United States Marine & Iwo Jima Veteran Sgt. Marty Connor  𝐿𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑡  🤍🇺🇸