What is this? Civil War---Real?....Or Fantasy piece?

connecticut yankee

First Sergeant
Joined
Jun 2, 2017
This item is now for sale on eBay. Seller claims it is genuine and calls it a "protection pass". Maybe it's me, but something doesn't rub me right here. I've seen all types of Civil War passes but none like this one. Did individual regiments ever issue passes like this? And for what purpose? Notice the 20th Ohio supposedly issued these protection passes during its time in Virginia. Any Comments?

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The 3 month edition of the 20th Ohio was in Western Virginia from June - August 1861. The 3 year version of the 20th Ohio served in The Army of the Tennessee and didn't see Virginia until early May 1865. So the timeline isn't there to back up the Virginia element, unless they were printed for a very short period of time.
 
Well, it's nothing unusual for an eBay seller to claim that a piece is "genuine." Is any more information given about this document -- provenance, for example? Or any explanation of what these passes were used for, where, when, etc.? If it's legit, there should be other examples of this kind of document elsewhere, and something written about them. Just a personal impression, and I could be very wrong, but somehow to me it looks a little too neat -- seems like something that could be created with the right computer fonts and clip art.

Roy B.
 
The 3 month edition of the 20th Ohio was in Western Virginia from June - August 1861. The 3 year version of the 20th Ohio served in The Army of the Tennessee and didn't see Virginia until early May 1865. So the timeline isn't there to back up the Virginia element, unless they were printed for a very short period of time.
Well, it's nothing unusual for an eBay seller to claim that a piece is "genuine." Is any more information given about this document -- provenance, for example? Or any explanation of what these passes were used for, where, when, etc.? If it's legit, there should be other examples of this kind of document elsewhere, and something written about them. Just a personal impression, and I could be very wrong, but somehow to me it looks a little too neat -- seems like something that could be created with the right computer fonts and clip art.

Roy B.
Great information & analysis, guys. I'm heavily leaning toward the fantasy piece side of the question.
 
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