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August, 2018 The Antique Shoppe Page 19
other materials. Model 1860s are seen in Civil War photographs carried
The Civil War Collector by some officers and even some well-known generals (Gen. George
McClellan is often seen in wartime photos wearing his), but a clear
majority are wearing the heavier 1850 models.
After the Civil War, this pattern became quite popular with the
By John Sexton military and militia units, and there are numerous makers and varieties
known of the sword. Your sword agent marked “H. Folsom, St. Louis,”
is difficult to date but is possibly Civil War, as Folsom sold many
came across an old sword and have been trying to learn more swords and other military goods during the Civil War. He
I about it for a year. I have found out a little about remained in business in St. Louis for a few years after the
Henry Folsom of St. Louis but would like to know more war before going to Chicago and using a different blade
about the sword itself. I wondered what the grip is made marking.
from, as well as, what metal is the scabbard and silver part The keystone mark found on the opposite side of the
of the sword’s handle and guard? blade on the ricasso probably denotes that the sword
I have attached a few photos. Do you think that it was made by Emerson & Silver of Trenton, New Jersey.
is worth doing an appraisal, or is it not that valuable, Emerson & Silver made tools prior to the Civil War and
especially since it is missing the end of the scabbard? again after the Civil War, but as the demand for swords
Thanks in advance.
increased during the war, this company retooled and
JS: Your sword is a US pattern 1860 staff and field was among the largest U.S. Army contractors for cavalry
officer’s sword. These small swords were modeled after sabers, bayonets and axes. It is doubtful Emerson &
French military small swords, and it replaced the heavier Silver were still making swords after the war, especially
model 1850 officer swords in use when the Civil War officer’s patterns, and Folsom is known to have sold other
began. This pattern was not very popular among American products of this New Jersey company during the Civil War.
officers, and probably more than 95% of officers carried Regardless if this sword is wartime or slightly postwar, it
the earlier model 1850 which was heavier and could serve is not a really popular pattern among collectors. The most
as a weapon where this sword is almost strictly dress. common postwar examples sell for $200-$300 when in
The 1860 regulations stated this sword was to have a horn handle, average, nice condition. Wartime examples, if proven, can sell for two to
which was typical for French swords but unusual for American. The three times as much. This sword, which is missing its drag and is silver-
sword does have a horn handle, though most American makers utilized plated instead gold, I would value as possibly wartime at $400-$600.
ello, Mr. Sexton. I am a retired teacher up in Indiana. About ten want to know the value of this Robert E. Lee painting and
Hyears ago, I found an 1838 silver English shilling with my metal I documents so I can put them on the market.
detector. I think it may be a Civil War soldier’s dog tag since it has been
next to someone’s skin a long time and worn down. JS: The image of Lee is a
Front side has “TIBBY 83” and a date. The back has “JGH” and then facsimile of a famous painting; the
“MR” perpendicular to it. Could you tell me what you think about it? documents are also facsimiles of
famous Robert E. Lee letters. The
original documents are in various
institutions, and copies have been
made for many years. I think one
of the breakfast food companies
even made parchment facsimiles
like these in the 1950s or 1960s
and gave them away as premiums.
The only value of your collage is as
a decoration; there is no historical
value.
JS: Your altered shilling with the applied name of “TIBBY” on one side
and just initials on the other are most often referred to by collectors
as “love tokens.” Love tokens can be fairly simple or quite elaborate.
Usually, they just have initials that were engraved by hand. Most
popular in the Victorian Era, the “83” below Tibby’s name probably
denotes 1883, though your coin is earlier. This token is about as simple
as a love token can be, and similar stamped silver coins generally do not
sell for much more than their silver content or maybe $5 or $10. There
are some elaborate love tokens with fanciful engraving, names, dates
and some enameled; the best are made from gold coins. The fanciest of
tokens can bring a broad range of prices, but usually, a large collection
of moderately valued tokens can be put together for just a few hundred
dollars.
For more information on love tokens and to see numerous examples, John Sexton is an independent appraiser and expert of Civil War memorabilia. He is an accredited member of
visit the lovetokensociety.com. various appraiser organizations. He can be contacted at 770-329-4984 or www.CivilWarDealer.com. For a free
appraisal of a Civil War item, email a photo and a description to mclwriter@gmail.com.
