I am starting with nothing, but want to collect.

Joined
Jan 18, 2018
I have nothing from my G-G-Grand-Dad's military service, so I would like to start collecting metal objects that would have been worn on his uniform and hat. I am a total newbie. I see stuff on Ebay but don't know if he would have had it on his uniform. I can only assume it would start with crossed cannons. Thanks for any help.

Here is his unit

Re-enlisted on August 18, 1861 for three years
Battery C 5th Regt. U.S. Regular Army
Under Capt. H. A. Haskell
Lt. V. H. Stone, commanding
Assigned to Artillery Brigade, 2nd Corps, Army of the Potomac
Honorably discharged August 17, 1864
 
You can start with a crossed cannon as the one below. Just make sure that they have the loops as pictured. Buttons are also a good way to go as well. There are many Union A buttons made by different manufactures so just make sure you get a CW dated back-mark.
a-button.JPG
crossed-cannons.jpg
crossed-cannons-1.jpg
 
Might I suggest you start with a unit history of the 5th Regiment and a good book on Civil War Artillery. Those will tell you more about what your ancestor did and where he did it. Then a good illustration of how he was uniformed. The experts here on the forum will probably give you advice. Then decide what you want to do with your items. If you want to display them then find a reputable dealer. If you want to wear them then buy them where ever you find them, just be careful of fakes. BTW just assume that anything on ebay is a reproduction.
 
BTW just assume that anything on ebay is a reproduction.

That is not true. In the last 5 years I have used Ebay to sell some of my 45+ year collection and I DON'T sell reproduction CW items. I work very hard to maintain my 100% positive feedback rating.
 
ucvrelics, I did not say everything on ebay was a reproduction. G G Grand Dad said he is a new comer to Civil War collecting and you know as well as I that many descriptions on ebay are at best misleading. It is also possible to put fake patina on a brass item and photograph it in a way it is almost impossible to judge from a photograph. Unless someone knows an item or a seller very well it is best not to assume something on ebay or in many antique stores is genuine. Then add to that most of us can be fooled by an Indian War item or a hard used reenactors item and extreme caution is warranted. I once even bought a knife at the Gettysburg show and after and casually mentioned it was 20th century the seller offered to buy it back giving me a hansom profit, not because I had been ripped off, but because he had sold it under false label (I turned him down because I was happy with the deal and knew what I was buying.)
 
The main thing I can add is to educate yourself well on what you are looking to collect. Educating yourself is the best thing that you can do. I learn something new everyday no matter what area of collecting I pursue. For myself it is a later period. I still look at all of the originals I can find 0f everything I have an interest in. Books, the internet and other coolectors are your best sources. Use all of them to educate yourself.
 
I have nothing from my G-G-Grand-Dad's military service, so I would like to start collecting metal objects that would have been worn on his uniform and hat. I am a total newbie. I see stuff on Ebay but don't know if he would have had it on his uniform. I can only assume it would start with crossed cannons. Thanks for any help.

Here is his unit

Re-enlisted on August 18, 1861 for three years
Battery C 5th Regt. U.S. Regular Army
Under Capt. H. A. Haskell
Lt. V. H. Stone, commanding
Assigned to Artillery Brigade, 2nd Corps, Army of the Potomac
Honorably discharged August 17, 1864
I wanted similar things for a more personal connection to my GGGrandad and other relatives. Nothing major, but something that was connected to their Regiment, Brigade ect.

Research where his unit was throughout the War.

From there, look for reputable dealers that sell items recovered from those locations.
You may be surprised at what's out there.
 
ucvrelics, I did not say everything on ebay was a reproduction. G G Grand Dad said he is a new comer to Civil War collecting and you know as well as I that many descriptions on ebay are at best misleading. It is also possible to put fake patina on a brass item and photograph it in a way it is almost impossible to judge from a photograph. Unless someone knows an item or a seller very well it is best not to assume something on ebay or in many antique stores is genuine. Then add to that most of us can be fooled by an Indian War item or a hard used reenactors item and extreme caution is warranted. I once even bought a knife at the Gettysburg show and after and casually mentioned it was 20th century the seller offered to buy it back giving me a hansom profit, not because I had been ripped off, but because he had sold it under false label (I turned him down because I was happy with the deal and knew what I was buying.)

I have both bought and sold both antique watches and coins on Ebay, but I must agree that at least half of the antique pocket watch listings I see contain some element of fraud in their descriptions, and most of them contain at least some hype. There are quite a few Ebay sellers who would be willing to call a Tibetan prayer wheel made in 1875 a "Civil War prayer wheel," if they thought that would fetch them a better price. As far as coins go, I only ever buy PCGS-slabbed coins, many of which have prior auction records, so that takes much of the worry out of it.
 
I got started with a few bullets and am totally hooked. Find a good dealer and with some research it will be fun to locate period buttons, bullets, etc. from his unit.
 
Welcome to the forum. I began collecting cw firearms and relics about 6 month ago. I have learned a lot in that time and there is plenty of info out there. One thing you need to know is what rank your GG father mustered in as and what rank he mustered out. If the ranks were different then you need to decide which rank you want to concentrate your collection on. The items can be quite different from private to sgt. or Lt. to Capt. Etc. Next, be careful. I have made some nice purchases on line and have found some real duds. If you don’t enjoy constant research and verification than this probably isn’t the hobby for you. If you deal with the good well established dealers you will be O.K. They won’t take a chance with their reputations for a small profit. If they loose their reputations, they are done. I just came from one of the largest cw shows in the nation in Dalton Georgia. Found some very good deals from some of the more renowned dealers. Also, I find these dealers are very willing to help the novice out with answers and advice. I have taken items from one table before purchase and asked a dealer at another table to appraise it with neither dealer objecting. Also, buy as many reference books as you can find. Find out what cannons were used in your GG fathers unit as the tools and ordinance will be much varied. Good luck and have fun.
 
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