Civil War Collectibles: Identification and Valuation

Artifacts of a long-dead relative passed down through his family, father to son, had finally come to Nathan directly from a battered trunk in his father's closet. Feeling the need to add coverage for the old items in the trunk to his homeowner's insurance policy, Nathan contacted a professional appraiser. The appraisal document revealed the small collection of items he had thought might be worth perhaps a few hundred dollars, at best, was actually valued at well over $15,000. Nathan was astounded.

What was in the trunk? Three tintypes and a small group of cartes de visite images of Union Army officers. There was a small, pocket-worn diary, some hand-written letters, a tin cup and a canteen of cedar wood with his ancestor's initials carved into it and the date of 1863 penciled above them. A stained canvas haversack of the type left over from the war with Mexico and issued to many Union enlisted men early in the American Civil war, held 6 stamped brass buttons and a wool enlisted man's forage cap with a few moth holes. Confederate souvenirs, too, that his ancestor may have picked up on a battlefield or obtained by trading Union foodstuffs or tobacco between engagements. The prize in the group of Confederate Army items was a Georgia-made Bowie knife.

Materials and objects connected to the American Civil War are widely collected today. And as illustrated by the contents of Nathan's inherited trunk, the act of collecting mementos of this particular historical event began at its very beginning, as the soldiers who participated in the war began to pick up battlefield relics, or traded photographs and accoutrements or gear with one another.

Some family members of later generations like Nathan may experience a fascination with America's Civil War because of their familial connection to the mighty conflict. A 'blood' connection in every sense of the word. Modern movies or documentaries like Ken Burns' 'Civil War' on PBS have had the effect of further increasing the number of ardent collectors. Many now regularly join thrilling battlefield reenactments held locally. Modern activities like these create the need for replica items for wear during battle reenactments and the items produced for them can eventually enter the market later. These can cause real problems for collectors. After a little time and a few seasons of wear, reproduction items can be easily mistaken for the authentic garb or accessories they were made to mimic.

Known also as the "Great War of the Rebellion" (Union) or the "War of Northern Aggression" (Confederate), among the many things our Civil War gifted us with as a nation were Lincoln's eloquent Gettysburg Address, Arlington National Cemetery and the solemn observation in perpetuity of a yearly Memorial Day to honor our fallen heroes.

To help the novice collector evaluate just a few of the vast array of items that may have a connection to the the American Civil War we provide here the following tips:

There are many different kinds of paper collectibles related to the war. Everything from government issued documents for ordering, 'victuals' for the troops, to simple soldier diaries complaining about the indigestion caused by same. Many letters sent to loved ones back home were kept safe by those to whom the soldiers would never return.

While most types of paper collectibles may take up little space, keep in mind they do have specific needs when it comes to storage, display and handling.

Highest Value Items:

1. Items that in some way relate to a specific well-known soldier, battle or event.

For instance, a soldier's rambling six-page letter home dated 1862 can always be interesting, simply as a direct connection to the past. But if the soldier wrote in the letter of his experience fighting at the stone bridge over Antietam Creek, outside of Sharpsburg, Maryland, then his missive would be valued much higher by collectors.

2. Confederate associated items typically have premium value. Keeping that in mind, expect any fake paper memorabilia to suggest a connection to the Confederate Army.

3. African American related items are also highly sought, and the same caveat applies.

Both the collodion and albumen processes for producing photographs were mature by the time the war began. So it was possible for many thousands of individuals, including soldiers, to sit to have their likeness captured. Most often an image would be produced as a ferrotype (aka 'tintype') on a thin sheet of blackened metal or printed on paper as a carte de visite (visiting card). Images in either format were thin and light enough to mail home, and they frequently were.

Despite their age, by virtue of the great number of them produced over time, many Civil War era images have minimal value. And, as with paper ephemera, antique images have very specific storage, display and handling requirements.

Highest Value Items:

1. Photographs of well-known military leaders. If autographed by them, which was a common enough practice of the day, those images would be valued even higher. The images of Confederate officers will often be valued higher by collectors than their Union counterpart, for a variety of reasons.

2. Photos of camp life or other outdoor scenes with mounted or gathered troopers. It might still be possible to find a contemporaneous image of a battlefield taken just after the battle that has not already been acquired by a museum or placed in an advanced collection, but these would be exceedingly rare.

3. Images of less illustrious soldiers dressed in uniforms. If they are accompanied by weapons or interesting accoutrements, so much the better. Full length views are the best as they show more of the soldier's uniform. Identified images are valued at a premium over pictures of anonymous individuals.

There is such a huge range of materials available to the collector in this collectible niche practically anyone can assemble a nice collection of buttons over time, regardless of their budget. For instance, three different styles of manufactured buttons made an appearance during the course of the war. Because there is such big variety in buttons it can be a good idea to narrow your focus and perhaps try to collect only those from one state or in a particular style.

While even a very large button collection can take up minimal space and buttons are fun to collect, thanks in part to insistence on historical accuracy for reenactments buttons are also a Civil War collectible group reproduced over a long period. Some are still reproducing buttons today from original manufacturer die stamps. This is an area where scholarship is very much recommended before deciding to invest a respectable amount of money. There are many good references available for buttons, both online and off.

Highest Value Items:

1. Confederate uniform buttons with state seals, many of which are exceedingly rare.

2. Other types of Confederate States buttons.

Keep in mind many reproduction buttons tend to be CSA due to value of authentic items.

3. Buttons with desirable history or provenance. But, remember, passage of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (ARPA) made excavating for artifacts on protected Civil War battlefields illegal.