Civil War Collectibles: Go For The New or The Old
Posted on October 31, 2008
Filed Under Collecting |
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Historians today recount the American Civil War in a number of different lights. Some historians are more sympathetic to the Confederate point of view regarding secession from the Union, while others clearly tell the story of the war from a Northern perspective. The best historians will base their work on fact and solid historical evidence. For the Civil War buff that does not want to rely only on historians to recount the events of the Civil War, it is a worthwhile task to become something of a historian himself or herself. This is done by taking up the collection of Civil War documents.
One of the hottest collectibles from the Civil War period is Civil War tokens. These are actual vintage token coins that replaced money for a short time during the war. And the interesting thing about these tokens is that they were privately minted between 1862 and 1864. Most of the tokens have anywhere from 5,000 to less than five remaining in private hands.
Because of the government’s sparseness in issuing metal cents back then, private ones were distributed and used as real money-issuers used nickel, tin, white metal, silver and German silver and rubber. The government in1864 made it illegal to use non-government issued coinage as monetary substitutes. Generally, the more rare a coin from back then, the more it will be worth currently.
Yet another fascinating collectible are guns that were used during the Civil War. The weapons of the Civil War played a huge part in determining the course of the war. Weapons in the 19th century were very different from modern weapons, being much more heavy and firing fewer shots per round than modern guns. By collecting Civil War era guns, collectors will have the chance to truly discover what it feels like to hold these old, hardened guns and to imagine what it must have been like in a Civil War battlefield. The pirate flintlock pistol is one weapon that was extremely popular during the war, and the woodent stock and brass finish that distinguishes many of these pistols today gives an idea of the care that was taken with manufacturing these weapons in the mid-18th century.
Another popular collectible that was used in conjunction with weaponry is the well-known Civil War cavalry bugles. These bugles were critical to the logistical success of battles and were utilized in order to tell the troops when to advance, charge, and withdraw. Cavalry bugles can be found in many stores specializing in Civil War collectibles, and they often have a rusty antique finish.
Additionally, reports of battles are also useful to collectors, and provide insight into the way in which battles were viewed at the time. The New York Times, for example, printed a number of articles at the time that discuss battles. There is one article in particular that discusses the Battle of Gettysburg (which took place on the 4th of July, 1863) and that is prized by Civil War collectors. The article is broken down into sections: Incidents of the Battle and List of Killed and Wounded. In flowery language, the journalist describes the bravery of the soldiers and the critical turning points of the battle. The letter is a priceless Civil War collectible!
For those who wish to gain a better and more experiential understanding of the horrors and critical events and battles which took place during the Civil War, becoming a collector of Civil War memorabilia is an invaluable hobby to take up. Not only is it possible to become familiar with some of the most critical items of the war, such as weapons and bullets, one may also learn more about warships that were used during the war. There are many Civil War collectibles besides the three discussed above - these include manuscripts, buttons, and confederate bonds. As one begins a Civil War collection, all of these items will become a part of the individual collection that is created, and each individual item will in turn contribute to increasing the collector’s knowledge of the American Civil War.
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