Corps Badges

[Legion Para]

 

[Legion Para]

 

[Legion Para]

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/corps-badges-in-the-west.149228/#post-1880241

"War Date 15th Corps Badge and CDV of Soldier Wearing One: The badge is a very handsome example with red enamel for the 1st division. Fine condition but the attaching pin is gone from the back. Also included is a 31st Iowa CDV showing a soldier wearing precisely this type of 15th corps badge. The corps badge has a miniature cartridge box with the words "FORTY ROUNDS" above the US plate. As the legend goes the 15th corps adopted this design because in the earlier days of the war the 15th corps had no adopted insignia, and reportedly when one of the men was asked why he wore no corps insignia the hardened soldier responded by slapping his cartridge box and telling the neophyte that this was his corps badge. Whether true or not the story persists as part of the history of the 15th corps.'

 

[Legion Para]

2nd Brigade, 15th Corps HQ Guidon.

 

[Package4]

This is a collecting genre that is fraught with peril, many corps badges are post war, made for GAR and reunions, others are outright fakes. Unless you have a very tight provenance and know what you are doing, it is best to shy away from this area.

There are things to look for, such as pin length on metal badges, but this is a field that one should tread in after researching, researching and then doing a little more research.

Cloth corps badges have been added to surplus caps and sold as original to the piece, which doubles the value of the cap. The implication being that is was a war worm cap and not surplus.

Cloth corps badges were almost always sewn on and will leave a bit of shadow underneath, if possible, lift a small section to see if it has been recently added. Soldiers would invariably sew these on themselves and many are simply "tacked" on with few stiches generally penetrating just the wool and not the paste board. They were tacked usually to supplement a brass number or letter that anchored the whole.

Corp badges are also found on sides of caps as well as the top, this example shows just that, with a replaced chinstrap (notice slit for button):