Tom Hughes
Sergeant Major
- Joined
- May 27, 2019
- Location
- Mississippi
A few years back, I was searching for artifacts in Raymond, MS in an area that was next to an old carriage road and a cold running creek. The land owner was selling off his timber and had clear cut a large tract of land. He noted to me that an old homestead had occupied the little hill by the creek. It had been put together with logs and pegs and pre-dated the civil war. By the time the war arrived, soldiers camped around it, taking advantage of a nearby well and probably the chickens and livestock too.
One of the items I found that day was this silver plated brass reptile piece. I had no idea what this item was or what it went to. Was it depicting the image of an alligator? A lizard? A Gecko?
At first I began to research military units whose mascot may have been an alligator. After-all, Louisiana troops were active in the Vicksburg campaign and I had discovered several civil war period artifacts from the soldiers that camped on the site.
I finally gave up and simply labeled the artifact in my collection as "alligator pin of unknown origin".
It remained unknown until fairly recently when I noticed a picture of a civil war era woman who was wearing a similar object. It was known as a Reptilian Pin.
Thanks to the internet and Google Images, I came to discover that these style of pins were actually quite fashionable during the mid-nineteenth century. Many were much fancier than mine, being adorned with various colored glass stones, etc. But I was very pleased that I had recovered the remains of one of these long lost relics that was no doubt worn by a lady during the 19th century, possibly during the war years.
Any additional information on these pins would be appreciated as I am constantly wanting to learn more about the objects that people treasured and lost during the civil war.
One of the items I found that day was this silver plated brass reptile piece. I had no idea what this item was or what it went to. Was it depicting the image of an alligator? A lizard? A Gecko?
At first I began to research military units whose mascot may have been an alligator. After-all, Louisiana troops were active in the Vicksburg campaign and I had discovered several civil war period artifacts from the soldiers that camped on the site.
I finally gave up and simply labeled the artifact in my collection as "alligator pin of unknown origin".
It remained unknown until fairly recently when I noticed a picture of a civil war era woman who was wearing a similar object. It was known as a Reptilian Pin.
Thanks to the internet and Google Images, I came to discover that these style of pins were actually quite fashionable during the mid-nineteenth century. Many were much fancier than mine, being adorned with various colored glass stones, etc. But I was very pleased that I had recovered the remains of one of these long lost relics that was no doubt worn by a lady during the 19th century, possibly during the war years.
Any additional information on these pins would be appreciated as I am constantly wanting to learn more about the objects that people treasured and lost during the civil war.