5th VA Cav.

[RustyRelics]

My grandfather bought this from auction in the 80's or 90's. The piece itself is period, but we are not sure about the engraving. Was this added postwar? Was it added to deliberately jack up the price? Is it war time?

I have just seen too many C.S.A fakes to call this one genuine. Just my opinion.

 

[smokeythecat]

It looks like a reunion piece due to the construction.

 

[Finder Bear]

I’m sure someone will chime in soon with ID, I hope it is real and period correct. Thanks for posting even if it is not a war time piece. Looks neat to me. Maybe a keepsake of some sort commemorating the regiment?

 

[Finder Bear]

Oh, possibly some sort of decoration for a horse bridal?

 

[GaRebel1861]

Spooky item in my opinion

 

[fyrffytr1]

Without any provenance I would be leery of that item.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Note that the rosette is a thin sheetbrass disc with its edges folded over to retain the thin IRON sheetmetal back. Also, the "legs" of the iron crossbar pass through the disc to its front, where they are peened over, like a rivet. I've never seen a civil war (or earlier) rosette with those characteristics. Iron-back horse harness rosettes are considered to be post-civil. For example, the one with a raised US mark and iron back is from the Indian Wars era, onward into the 20th Century.