Page 47 - 2019 August The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
P. 47
by John Sexton
Mr. Sexton, I acquired at a swap meet two Civil War-Era books (one signed by Your other title by Frederick Perkins concerning
Q:
F.B. Carpenter) and glass photo negatives from the Spanish-American War. I was Lincoln and his cabinet is a 1st edition published in 1867
interested in getting them appraised. Could you please advise? Thank you in advance but has a very limited appeal. You can find copies for sale
for your response. priced under $100 in fine condition by booksellers.
First edition Civil War books used to be a very hot
JS: The Stonewall Jackson biography “by a commodity in the collecting community; however, over
Virginian” was the first biography written of the the past 30 years there are fewer collectors, and numerous
famous Confederate general who was Robert collections are coming to market, generally sold in large
E. Lee’s most important commander; he died lots. The Internet, with readily available PDFs or reprints
tragically in April 1863 at the battle of of most titles, has made the number of the once quite
Chancellorsville. John Esten Cooke wrote this The Picture and The popular antiquarian book shows limited to only a handful
famous biography anonymously which was Men, a book on a year, scattered around the country.
published in Richmond, Virginia, within Lincoln and his Your other items are magic lantern slides, and
Title page to the months of Jackson’s death. The book was so cabinet, less than they were popular for many years from the Victorian Era
Jackson autobiography popular that a captured Confederate edition was $100 in fine until well into the
copied by a New York publisher, which you condition 20th century. They
have – an 1864 copy. were a favorite enter-
This book is not rare, and it’s easy to find an original tainment for families before television. There
New York edition in very good condition typically priced were millions of slides made in numerous
$50-$100. Your copy with a chipped spine would sell for less. formats. There are magic lantern slide
The original Confederate imprint is much more difficult to collector organizations and information
acquire, and a fine copy can sell in excess of $1,000. It is inter- available online about their history.
esting to note that this book is still in print today. Magic lantern slides can be found quite
John Esten Cooke was from a famous and prominent easily. If you type in “magic lantern slide” in
Photo page Virginia family; he served as a staff officer in Jeb Stuart’s a search on eBay, which I just did, there were Magic lantern slides, some from the
of author cavalry. After the war, he continued writing biographies of 32,883 results today. Most slides are priced Civil War Era, $10 or less each
John Esten Cook other prominent Confederates. There is a John Esten Cooke on eBay less than $10 each and in sets for less.
fiction award “… given annually to encourage writers of War slides including the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and WWI are still
fiction to portray characters and events dealing with the Civil War, Confederate collected and are readily available for anyone wanting to start an interesting
heritage or Southern history in a historically accurate fashion.” collection for a moderate investment.
This Civil War belt buckle has a soldier’s name on it. Is this fake? to mid-1863 to 1865. It must have been an important relic to his family as they
Q:
kept it in an old jewelry case that was specially fitted for it.
Your buckle is a scarcer variant of the model 1850 officer’s sword He resigned from service just after the war on
JS:
belt plate that has a solid brass wreath instead of the applied German 5/30/1865 and entered Newton Theological
silver wreath found on enlisted plates. Few officers’ plates were made Seminary. He was ordained in the Baptist Church
in quantity like this example, which has a matching benchmark on and started his career as a minister in the Far East. His
both the keeper and the plate itself. first assignment was five years as a missionary in Siam
There are numerous varieties of Civil War sword belt plates, and from 1868 to 1873. Then, he moved on to Swatlow,
this is a fine example. Dealers typically offer similar buckles between China, which had just been opened to foreigners. He
$300 and $400. The added history that is found on the was the first Baptist minister working in China.
card accompanying the buckle would probably add 25%, He also translated the New Testament into the
maybe more, to its value. Chinese dialect of the area where he served. After 40
Sylvester Baron Partridge (1837-1912) enlisted on years of mission work in the Far East, he returned to the
12/9/1861 at Potsdam, New York, as a 1st Sergeant in United States in 1908 and lived in Hamilton, New York, till
“H” Co. NY 92nd Infantry. On 3/3/1863, he was his death September 12, 1912.
commissioned into the U.S. Army Signal Corps where he
would now need a sword and sword belt that officers were An 1850 officer’s belt sword plate belonging to Sylvester Baron
required to wear. Therefore, we can date the buckle’s use Partridge, about $400-$500
I have these leather bags that look sound, complete pair sold at Poulin Auctions (a specialist venue in Civil War
Q:
pretty old. Could these possibly be from items, CivilWar@Poulinauctions.com for details), in Fairfield, Maine, as lot
the Civil War? 3161 on October 2018 for $375. They were described as: “These saddlebags are
entirely sewn w/no rivets, and the closures utilize three straps in the shape of
Your saddlebags are Civil War Era ‘crow’s foot’. This crow’s foot is thought to be a Shenandoah Valley feature.”
JS:
and are often Yours are of the same style but are riveted, which is possibly later or by a
Civil War Era saddle- found with different maker. They still would have been marketable in better condition;
bags that are torn and the owner “as-is” with missing and torn straps, I would venture they may sell for $40-$50
missing straps, $40-$50 identified. A on eBay or similar venue offered as “Civil War Era Southern saddlebags.”
John Sexton is an independent appraiser and expert of Civil War memorabilia. He is an accredited member of 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 de scription
to mclwriter@gmail.com.
August 2019 45
Mr. Sexton, I acquired at a swap meet two Civil War-Era books (one signed by Your other title by Frederick Perkins concerning
Q:
F.B. Carpenter) and glass photo negatives from the Spanish-American War. I was Lincoln and his cabinet is a 1st edition published in 1867
interested in getting them appraised. Could you please advise? Thank you in advance but has a very limited appeal. You can find copies for sale
for your response. priced under $100 in fine condition by booksellers.
First edition Civil War books used to be a very hot
JS: The Stonewall Jackson biography “by a commodity in the collecting community; however, over
Virginian” was the first biography written of the the past 30 years there are fewer collectors, and numerous
famous Confederate general who was Robert collections are coming to market, generally sold in large
E. Lee’s most important commander; he died lots. The Internet, with readily available PDFs or reprints
tragically in April 1863 at the battle of of most titles, has made the number of the once quite
Chancellorsville. John Esten Cooke wrote this The Picture and The popular antiquarian book shows limited to only a handful
famous biography anonymously which was Men, a book on a year, scattered around the country.
published in Richmond, Virginia, within Lincoln and his Your other items are magic lantern slides, and
Title page to the months of Jackson’s death. The book was so cabinet, less than they were popular for many years from the Victorian Era
Jackson autobiography popular that a captured Confederate edition was $100 in fine until well into the
copied by a New York publisher, which you condition 20th century. They
have – an 1864 copy. were a favorite enter-
This book is not rare, and it’s easy to find an original tainment for families before television. There
New York edition in very good condition typically priced were millions of slides made in numerous
$50-$100. Your copy with a chipped spine would sell for less. formats. There are magic lantern slide
The original Confederate imprint is much more difficult to collector organizations and information
acquire, and a fine copy can sell in excess of $1,000. It is inter- available online about their history.
esting to note that this book is still in print today. Magic lantern slides can be found quite
John Esten Cooke was from a famous and prominent easily. If you type in “magic lantern slide” in
Photo page Virginia family; he served as a staff officer in Jeb Stuart’s a search on eBay, which I just did, there were Magic lantern slides, some from the
of author cavalry. After the war, he continued writing biographies of 32,883 results today. Most slides are priced Civil War Era, $10 or less each
John Esten Cook other prominent Confederates. There is a John Esten Cooke on eBay less than $10 each and in sets for less.
fiction award “… given annually to encourage writers of War slides including the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and WWI are still
fiction to portray characters and events dealing with the Civil War, Confederate collected and are readily available for anyone wanting to start an interesting
heritage or Southern history in a historically accurate fashion.” collection for a moderate investment.
This Civil War belt buckle has a soldier’s name on it. Is this fake? to mid-1863 to 1865. It must have been an important relic to his family as they
Q:
kept it in an old jewelry case that was specially fitted for it.
Your buckle is a scarcer variant of the model 1850 officer’s sword He resigned from service just after the war on
JS:
belt plate that has a solid brass wreath instead of the applied German 5/30/1865 and entered Newton Theological
silver wreath found on enlisted plates. Few officers’ plates were made Seminary. He was ordained in the Baptist Church
in quantity like this example, which has a matching benchmark on and started his career as a minister in the Far East. His
both the keeper and the plate itself. first assignment was five years as a missionary in Siam
There are numerous varieties of Civil War sword belt plates, and from 1868 to 1873. Then, he moved on to Swatlow,
this is a fine example. Dealers typically offer similar buckles between China, which had just been opened to foreigners. He
$300 and $400. The added history that is found on the was the first Baptist minister working in China.
card accompanying the buckle would probably add 25%, He also translated the New Testament into the
maybe more, to its value. Chinese dialect of the area where he served. After 40
Sylvester Baron Partridge (1837-1912) enlisted on years of mission work in the Far East, he returned to the
12/9/1861 at Potsdam, New York, as a 1st Sergeant in United States in 1908 and lived in Hamilton, New York, till
“H” Co. NY 92nd Infantry. On 3/3/1863, he was his death September 12, 1912.
commissioned into the U.S. Army Signal Corps where he
would now need a sword and sword belt that officers were An 1850 officer’s belt sword plate belonging to Sylvester Baron
required to wear. Therefore, we can date the buckle’s use Partridge, about $400-$500
I have these leather bags that look sound, complete pair sold at Poulin Auctions (a specialist venue in Civil War
Q:
pretty old. Could these possibly be from items, CivilWar@Poulinauctions.com for details), in Fairfield, Maine, as lot
the Civil War? 3161 on October 2018 for $375. They were described as: “These saddlebags are
entirely sewn w/no rivets, and the closures utilize three straps in the shape of
Your saddlebags are Civil War Era ‘crow’s foot’. This crow’s foot is thought to be a Shenandoah Valley feature.”
JS:
and are often Yours are of the same style but are riveted, which is possibly later or by a
Civil War Era saddle- found with different maker. They still would have been marketable in better condition;
bags that are torn and the owner “as-is” with missing and torn straps, I would venture they may sell for $40-$50
missing straps, $40-$50 identified. A on eBay or similar venue offered as “Civil War Era Southern saddlebags.”
John Sexton is an independent appraiser and expert of Civil War memorabilia. He is an accredited member of 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 de scription
to mclwriter@gmail.com.
August 2019 45
