Page 15 - JOA August 2020

$1,903 (17 bids, 10 bidders): Antique Confederate sales anywhere from about $1,000 to almost $3,000 over
Veteran Civil War Hospital Steward Silver Badge Pin, the past few years.
Named. This is a fresh-to-the-market antique, guaranteed The better the inscription or the more significant the
authentic U.S. Civil War relic. This was in an unclaimed history, the more money these badges will bring. A hospital
safe deposit box, the contents of which I purchased at auc- steward badge is definitely unusual, and the eBay result of
tion. This is a small badge or pin measuring about 1 1/8th about $2,000 seems to be near top price.
inches long. The metal is silver, but it is not marked as to Hospital Steward George H. Jones entered service in
purity. It is likely coin silver. The inscription on this reads February 1862 as a private in the 3rd East Tennessee U.S.
(I believe): “G.H. Jones Hospital Steward 3rd Tenn. V. I. infantry. He was promoted to Hospital Steward May 4 of
War of 1861.” I am unsure if this is a wartime piece or if 1863. After his promotion, he most likely bought this ID
it is a post-war veteran’s piece. There are no marks that I pin from a sutler (a camp salesman) or maybe even by mail
can find to indicate where or by whom this was made, but order as ads offered engraving to suit. A badge like this
it was likely made by a jeweler or silversmith. (Photos cour- with “HOSPITAL STEWARD” so prominent could
tesy of eBay seller fourthstreetgoodies.) easily have made him identifiable to the wounded in a
field hospital.
John: It just goes to show that no matter how poorly an item The 3rd Tennessee fought as mounted infantry after Jones’
is cataloged for auction, if it has enough exposure, it will bring promotion and would take part in the campaigns in Tennessee,
the right amount of money. The badge presented here is not a leading up to the winter camps around Chattanooga and
veteran’s badge, but a Civil War badge sold by vendors adver- Knoxville. In the spring of 1864, the 3rd Tennessee took part
tising those badges in wartime publications. Rarely do veteran in most of the battles of the Atlanta campaign; the 3rd was a
ID badges bring more than a few hundred dollars. A quick hard-fought unit, losing about 250 men. They mustered out in
search of auction archives of this type of badge finds individual Nashville in May 1865

$3,550 (45 bids, 21 bidders): Large Antique Western Native PH: Olla, pronounced
American Indian Apache Pictorial Olla Basket. Measuring 15 inches “oy-yuh,” is a Spanish word
tall by 13 inches in diameter, this large antique Western American Apache that means a jar having a neck
Olla basket is in excellent original condition. The construction is very and mouth. In Indian collect-
tight, and it is decorated with four figures and eight animals. This ing, it is used to describe the
basket is from the estate of form in both basketry and
Agnes Gill Webster. She is pottery. Generally, baskets
the daughter of the artist were intended to store dry
Delancey Gill (1859-1940) items, and Olla-shaped bas-
who for almost six kets were effective for storing
decades worked for
the Smithsonian
Institute’s Bureau
of American
Ethnology. He
eventually became
the director of the
Division of
Illustration. He
spent long periods
of time painting
and photographing
Native Americans
in Arizona. It was
during this time
that he accumu-
lated a sizable
collection of local grain with less likelihood of spillage. Olla baskets can be found
baskets, pottery, and in many sizes up to 26 inches high and 20 inches in diameter.
other items. This Apache baskets have strong contrast in color, designs, and
large Apache Olla motifs. They are based on a three-rod foundation; the coils make
basket was part of this the baskets’ weaving tight and sturdy. Apache fine-coiled willow
collection. basketry on the three-rod foundation died out in the 1930s with
The basket is so stiff and coarser weave baskets taking over. Size, condition, and detail of
tight I’m sure it could hold decoration are drivers of Apache basket prices.
water. There is a very small section Retailers ask high prices for early baskets, and in comparison, these
on the bottom where some stitches are worn away. That’s it! There are no baskets are a much better value if bought through auctions at eBay or Live
other problems, and there are no restorations. Western American Indian Auctioneers. This basket sold for a fair auction price with good
baskets of this quality, age and condition are very difficult to find, especially provenance, detail, and condition.
here on the East Coast. (Photos courtesy of eBay seller wwolst12.)

Philip Hawkins, ISA AM, AAG is an accredited member of the International Society of Appraisers and a founding member of the Appraisers Association of Georgia. He can be
reached via the ISA website or at 404-320-7275.

John Sexton is an independent appraiser and expert in Civil War memorabilia. He is an accredited member of various appraiser organizations. He can be contacted at
770-329-4984. If you have a Civil War item for him to appraise, email a photo and a description to mclwriter@gmail.com.

August 2020 13