Revolutionary War Continental Army Scabbard Tip

ianstet

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Jul 23, 2019
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33
When I first popped this two weeks ago I was very excited about the prospect of it being a scabbard tip, but quickly remembered the shape of civil war era scabbards. Usually, these have a rounded, almost oval shape at the end of the scabbard so naturally I called the find an odd shaped pipe fitting and didn't think about it. Turns out I just wasn't thinking far enough back. Yesterday I did some research and found something extremely similar to my find. REVOLUTIONARY!!! The photos for that are posted below and here's the link: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/lot-464817.aspx
They both have one line on one side and two on the other but mine doesn't have the puncture marks of the photo-maybe thats why mine fell off the sword:cool3:. Easily my best and favorite find yet, and I almost tossed it with the trash!
 

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very nice find and ID. where did you find it? how did you come across the rev war site?

Yes, great ID but:
Just because it is a Rev war Era item does NOT mean it was found at the rev war site.

More likely it was lost many years later near the home of the officer that originally owned the sword. It could have even been lost by the officer's ancestors at a another location.

These types of items were commonly keep 'in the family or simply stored in the attic.
Example: my great uncle bought a house that had a Brown Bess musket and a Sharps Carbine in the attic. The house was no where near any battle site of the Revolution or Civil war.
 
Yes, great ID but:
Just because it is a Rev war Era item does NOT mean it was found at the rev war site.

More likely it was lost many years later near the home of the officer that originally owned the sword. It could have even been lost by the officer's ancestors at a another location.

These types of items were commonly keep 'in the family or simply stored in the attic.
Example: my great uncle bought a house that had a Brown Bess musket and a Sharps Carbine in the attic. The house was no where near any battle site of the Revolution or Civil war.

Very good point - Of course I have my own theories about how it ended up where I found it. I was hunting a site that was a funeral home and the start of the procession to the graveyard during the late 18th and much of the 19th century. Don't mean to take a shot in the dark but it could have been off of a vet who came to a funeral in full military garb - possibly for another vet. Thats the story i'll tell myself anyway.
 
Yes, great ID but:
Just because it is a Rev war Era item does NOT mean it was found at the rev war site.

More likely it was lost many years later near the home of the officer that originally owned the sword. It could have even been lost by the officer's ancestors at a another location.

These types of items were commonly keep 'in the family or simply stored in the attic.
Example: my great uncle bought a house that had a Brown Bess musket and a Sharps Carbine in the attic. The house was no where near any battle site of the Revolution or Civil war.

Good point Waltr

My best CW finds have been at old long gone homesites. My goal is to find them first and then try to determine how they ended up at Old Doc whats his names place.

As an example, I once found 4 Alabama Cadet Corp buttons within 1 foot of each other at an old homesite then researched the property records and sure enough the ol boy was a University of Alabama student that served in the Confederacy and fought at Shiloh and a number of other battles sites.

He survived the war, collected a pension and lived out his life where I found the buttons along with other CW war relics.

Would I have been able to establish those facts at a known Battlesite? not unless I pulled up an ID badge which is indeed a rarity and practically impossible because it's illegal to hunt an actual battle site anyway. Thankfully private property with proper permission does exist and is alive and well.

The items that I can actually identify and associate with a name will end up in our small town museum which is the biggest reason I metal detect in the first place.

To each their own I reckon, but I do enjoy this hobby:yes:

P.S. Tom...yes I understand the legalities::roll:
 
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Great research and ideas.

The tip dropping off during a Vet's funeral is a good theory and fits well with location.

normx2,
Yes, ID'ing the individual that owned an item would be near impossible if from a war campaign site (trails, roads, camps, etc).
Homestead military finds make it possible to trace the family and history of an individual.

I have a few items that like found at an old farm. One is an officer's coat button from post CW. Research pinned it to an individual. I also have an Regulation 1808 should belt plate. Still need more research to find who lived there that was in the Army in the early 1800's and a guess is the grandfather of the officer that lost the coat button.

I'm also considering donation to local historical org. of these types of items.
 
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