Well, after posting a "what is it" here, and getting numerous responses, and thank you, I finally started hearing back privately by email from the guys who essentially wrote the books on Civil War insignia and such.
And the verdict is in. I dug this piece in Virginia Wednesday at a site that has produced 6 Confederate buttons (I only got 1) plus just about anything else you would want from a CW site, although no plates this year.
It reminded me of the official US Corps of Engineers insignia, model 1851 with the castle motif, but is apparently different.
So after numerous inquiries, it has been identified as the type of insignia Confederate engineering officers would wear on their kepis. These men attended various engineering schools and the insignia would have been kept from that establishment and used by an engineer. Apparently numerous different types have been found through the years but are rare enough they are almost never seen. All are consistent with CW usage, and the know examples have been found on CW sites. The Confederate army did not accept a uniform hat pin for engineers, so the officers kept heir school pins and used them as such. It's the same thought as the stars found on Texas and Mississippi sites that aren't quite standard regulation, but were worn by the troops.
So the badge is about 1" tall, stamped brass, had a brass wire pin soldered on the back and worn on a hat. That is a once in a lifetime find. Finding anything from engineering or ordnance, CSN, or the adjutant general's office is nearly impossible these days. My dad was in the 21st US Engineers in Italy and North Africa in WW2. He would have been proud. I have not cleaned it, the color changed with the background it was against.
And the verdict is in. I dug this piece in Virginia Wednesday at a site that has produced 6 Confederate buttons (I only got 1) plus just about anything else you would want from a CW site, although no plates this year.
It reminded me of the official US Corps of Engineers insignia, model 1851 with the castle motif, but is apparently different.
So after numerous inquiries, it has been identified as the type of insignia Confederate engineering officers would wear on their kepis. These men attended various engineering schools and the insignia would have been kept from that establishment and used by an engineer. Apparently numerous different types have been found through the years but are rare enough they are almost never seen. All are consistent with CW usage, and the know examples have been found on CW sites. The Confederate army did not accept a uniform hat pin for engineers, so the officers kept heir school pins and used them as such. It's the same thought as the stars found on Texas and Mississippi sites that aren't quite standard regulation, but were worn by the troops.
So the badge is about 1" tall, stamped brass, had a brass wire pin soldered on the back and worn on a hat. That is a once in a lifetime find. Finding anything from engineering or ordnance, CSN, or the adjutant general's office is nearly impossible these days. My dad was in the 21st US Engineers in Italy and North Africa in WW2. He would have been proud. I have not cleaned it, the color changed with the background it was against.
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Oh, I am sure it happens from time to time. I am gonna have to give you the "So rare it stumped Smokey" banner vote. Thanks for the write up and explanation.
