Need help identifying some medals

[Gamecat]

Greetings!

My great-great-grandfather Egbert Palmer served in the 185th New York Volunteer Infantry from it's formation to it's dissolution. Among the few items of memorabilia that passed down to me are a couple medals that I would like some help identifying.

The first is personalized and looks like it was perhaps made from a coin. Would this be something that he would have worn on his uniform to serve the purpose of a dog tag?

The second looks like some sort of 50th year commemorative medal. Does anyone know the story behind these?

Thanks for any insight. - bpd

 

[rpkennedy]

The first medal is a Fifth Corps badge that would be used as a quick identification symbol in battle. Interestingly, the 185th New York was in the First Division, Fifth Corps which would normally have been symbolized by a red Maltese cross.

The second medal looks like it was a commemoration for the 1913 Gettysburg reunion but whether it was commissioned by the state of New York or some other government entity, I do not know.

Ryan

 

[Taylin]

The first medal is made from a coin, probably half dollar. Get another image of it with a quarter for comparison and we may be able to determine the date via design of the eagle. I would put money on it being a seated liberty half dollar which would have been in mint at the time

Edit x 2: Changed my mind, it's probably a quarter. Can make out a QU on the right.
It's a variant of the Seated Liberty quarter. Some had the ribbon, some did not. One such issue had rays around the eagle - Your medal is an eagle with ribbonribbon.

 

[Taylin]

You can line up the eagle pretty well.

 

[Gamecat]

I could tell that it was a coin, but wasn't sure which. Thanks for tracking it down for me Taylin.

I still was wondering if this would be something that soldiers of that era might have made to wear on their uniforms during battle in order to identify themselves in case of death, or if it is more likely something that was made after the war to commemorate the event. When I google 'civil war dog tags' I see some that were made from coins, so I'm guessing it saw active duty - but he was only seventeen when he enlisted and it seems like a lot of work went into it. Maybe there was a cottage industry of making these for active duty soldiers?

 

[Gamecat]

BTW - I identified the other medal as being from this -
Egbert was also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic - I also have one of his dues slips and a "Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic" badge - presumable his wife's.

I still haven't figured out what the "F.C.L." stand for.

 

[Schwallanscher]

I could tell that it was a coin, but wasn't sure which. Thanks for tracking it down for me Taylin.

I still was wondering if this would be something that soldiers of that era might have made to wear on their uniforms during battle in order to identify themselves in case of death, or if it is more likely something that was made after the war to commemorate the event. When I google 'civil war dog tags' I see some that were made from coins, so I'm guessing it saw active duty - but he was only seventeen when he enlisted and it seems like a lot of work went into it.

actually, soldiers have a lot of time to kill; it's not all fighting or marching - cutting up a quarter looks a lot like the kind of pasttime for that (if you get marching orders you can easily pocket your work)

Maybe there was a cottage industry of making these for active duty soldiers?

don't you think somebody who did that more often would have placed the eagle upright and not dive-bombing the rebells? somebody who's doing it for the first time might be more inclined to not waste another perfectly well quarter on that project

... and welcome to the club

 

[Schwallanscher]

BTW - I identified the other medal as being from this

(...)

I still haven't figured out what the "F.C.L." stand for.

fraternity - charity - loyalty (according to zhis, but i don't give any guarantee)

 

[Schwallanscher]

fraternity - charity - loyalty (according to zhis, but i don't give any guarantee)

according to zhis it might even be legit

 

[Seduzal]

Welcome to CWT from the Smoky Mountain side of North Carolina.

 

[rpkennedy]

I could tell that it was a coin, but wasn't sure which. Thanks for tracking it down for me Taylin.

I still was wondering if this would be something that soldiers of that era might have made to wear on their uniforms during battle in order to identify themselves in case of death, or if it is more likely something that was made after the war to commemorate the event. When I google 'civil war dog tags' I see some that were made from coins, so I'm guessing it saw active duty - but he was only seventeen when he enlisted and it seems like a lot of work went into it. Maybe there was a cottage industry of making these for active duty soldiers?

Ot was less a dog tag than just a unit identification that mem had to wear. The majority of these were simple colors and shapes, made from different materials, without names or specific units. This kind of medal is relatively uncommon.

Ryan

 

[Busvette]

The 5th Corp pin is a very interesting piece with great family connections. These metal were not issued as part of a military uniform and were not required to be worn. The sulters that followed the army's around sold these to the soldiers who wanted them. They made them in all the Corp designs. They are very rare and hard to find now. I purchased one at a military flee market in Florida last winter. It was of a known design and shown in a civil war medals book. It wasnt cheap but as a collector I was happy to find one. Great piece.

 

[tbuckley]

Welcome and thanks for posting.

 

[captaindrew]

Welcome to the forum @Gamecat nice piece of family history

 

[Gamecat]

First off, thanks for the welcomes. I have never had more than a passing interest in the Civil War until it became personal. When my Dad passed away earlier this year I inherited a trove of family pictures, letters, deeds, etc., and I've been working since then to bring the people behind the names and faces back to life.

The sulters that followed the army's around sold these to the soldiers who wanted them. They made them in all the Corp designs.

This makes the most sense to me. Construction would have required a set of dies that Egbert was unlikely to be carrying around in his field kit. Besides, he was probably flush from the $600 that they paid him to enlist.

 

[Gamecat]

Let me know if anyone can figure out Egbert's occupation at the time of enrollment. I can't quite decipher that bit of script.

 

[upton j.]

Looks like Clerk to me probably worked in a store.

 

[JOHN42768]

Welcome, enjoy

 

[Badgercwcollector]

Looks to me that his occupation was a CLERK .

 

[Package4]

Greetings!

My great-great-grandfather Egbert Palmer served in the 185th New York Volunteer Infantry from it's formation to it's dissolution. Among the few items of memorabilia that passed down to me are a couple medals that I would like some help identifying.

The first is personalized and looks like it was perhaps made from a coin. Would this be something that he would have worn on his uniform to serve the purpose of a dog tag?
View attachment 202796

The second looks like some sort of 50th year commemorative medal. Does anyone know the story behind these?
View attachment 202797

Thanks for any insight. - bpd

Please provide a picture of the back of each, if possible.