QUARTERMASTER GENERALS FINEST
VOLTIGEUR D ' ORLEANS
Yeeeeehaaaaawww!!! I've waited a LONG TIME for this button to come my way...… and as of yesterday this ultra rare button has a new caretaker!!! Tice's LA 270 Albert's LA17...... Voltiguers D' Orleans (Voltigeurs of New Orleans); convex, two - piece. Scovill made these silver plated buttons during the 1840's. In 1861, the Voltigeurs were incorporated into Stonewall Jackson's Regiment of Louisiana Militia Infantry Battalion as the 1st Company, under Colonel J. B. G. Kennedy's 5th Battalion home guard command. The group took part in the Battle of Belmont. On Febuary 9, 1862 four new companies were added to create the 21st Louisiana Regiment. The Voltigeurs were probably present on Island Number 10 where they built batteries, and then went to Fort Pillow. Later, the army sent the men to Florence Mississippi, where they fought a skirmish. After marching to Tupelo, General Bragg ordered the regiment disbanded in July, 1862. Two of these rare buttons have been found at Virginia campsites.....this being one of them. The device is a flaming bomb and hunting horn at the center of a plain field, with the inscription "VOLTIGEURS D' ORLEANS" in an arc along the edge. The copper face is silver plated, 25mm. Backmark reads " *SCOVILLS * / EXTRA SUPERFINE" rmdc. I have been waiting a long time for this button to find it's way into my collection! This button has ties to VMI being that Stonewall Jackson was an instructor there. In fact, at one point, this button was almost purchased by VMI to be placed in their honorary museum. This button was found in the mid 90's in Varina Virginia and was published in North South Trader at that time. It is just as it was dug..... never having been cleaned. It retains over 90 percent of it's thick silver gilt and has a stand out shank! Perfect in every way!!! This button has always captivated me and I don't know how many times I have looked at that magnificent picture over the last 25 + years! It is an honor to own such a rarity amongst Confederate Civil War State Regimental buttons!!!
1659 LORD BALTIMORE 4 PENCE!!!
The Maryland Fourpence of Lord Baltimore is a very rare coin of which only approximately thirty specimens are known. There are really two varieties of the Maryland Fourpence: 1) a Large Bust type where the bust is very close to the RR of the inscription and 2) a Small Bust type where there is much more space between the RR and the bust. The latter type is represented by a unique specimen that Heritage sold in January, 2015 as lot 5621 in the Donald Partrick collection for an all-in price of $111,625.
The Maryland Fourpence is the smallest denomination of silver coinage issued by Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore, Sixpence and Shillings were also issued for circulation. Although made in England these were made to be used in Maryland to help with the small currency shortage needed in local commerce. All the silver issues share the same general design: the obverse has a bust of Cecil Calvert while the reverse contains the Calvert Shield with a crown, orb, and cross on top.
These are the first circulating coins made in England for use in a British Colony. They were issued in either 1658 or 1659.
I’ve waited over 25 years to acquire this one of a kind silver hatpin! This solid silver hatpin with number “8” with the letters “F” and “L” superimposed for Company F, 8th Louisiana Infantry Regiment was dug April 18, 1987 by Bob Brown at the site of the 1861 - 1862 winter encampment of the 8th Louisiana Infantry Regiment at Centreville, Fairfax County, Virginia. Terry Heilman, whose collection I acquired this from, was at the site the day this exquisite relic was dug and it was shown to him by Bob Brown. This is the site Kevin Ambrose discovered human remains. Six soldiers were eventually discovered buried here. A full feature article was published by North South Trader In Volume 24 Number 2 detailing every aspect of this incredible site and the relics it contained. This delicate hatpin is also pictured and described in detail in this article. The brigade these soldiers were in fought in the engagements at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville and participated in the bloody July 2nd, 1863, night attack that neatly captured the Federal artillery position on Gettysburg’s Cemetery Hill. The Northern Virginia Relic Hunters Association was allowed to search the surrounding terrain as unofficial site monitors and salvage archeologists. The clubs president at the time, Tom McLaughlin initially expressed a strong interest in organizing and financing a professional recovery effort and asked William Leigh, trained and certified as an archeologist, to pilot the operation. Leigh later praised the project as “ a model project of cooperation between relic hunters and archeologists.” In my opinion this is the most recognizable relic recovered at this historic site. Terry Heilman sent me a detailed packet through the mail on Sept 4th, 2008 detailing the 5 Louisiana relics in his collection he historically valued the most that came from this encampment in Centreville. He knew Louisiana relics were my favorite. It was the first Confederate State seal I ever found, an LA 6 in perfect condition, and my best find to date was a solid cast Louisiana button. One of only 7 known and unquestionably the best. Of the 5 relics he described I was able to obtain 2 of them at the 41st FRHA Annual Relic Show last Saturday. I would like to thank Nicki Harris for making this happen! I and Quartermaster General Relics could not be more pleased than we are at having acquired this magnificent silver hatpin! Yeeeehaaaaw!!!
