Percussion Cap Boxes & U.S. Belt, ca. 1864
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GUEST:
I brought in my third-great-grandfather's Civil War belt and the two pouches that were on it.
APPRAISER:
And who did he serve with?
GUEST:
He served with a Pennsylvania regiment.
APPRAISER:
They armed a multimillion-man army with these.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
So there's a lot of them around. But on the back of this one, we have his initials, so we know it's his.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
And that's a wonderful touch, rather than just being an original belt buckle.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
What do you know about these pouches?
GUEST:
I know that they go on the belt and that they do hold... Armaments, I guess?
APPRAISER:
(chuckles)
GUEST:
Minié balls, blasting caps, and some tinder, I think.
APPRAISER:
Well, what's cool about these is that they held percussion caps.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Which you had to have if you were gonna fire your guns, whether it be a pistol, a carbine, or a musket, and... He served with the North, out of Pennsylvania.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
And that regiment, the 206th Pennsylvania, actually mustered in in Pittsburgh. And if we open up this flap, we've got the mark of Oliver and Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
GUEST:
Ah!
APPRAISER:
So it would have come...
GUEST:
I didn't know that.
APPRAISER:
Straight from the factory when he had it.
GUEST:
(chuckles)
APPRAISER:
And there's a few differences about these. This one is made out of standard bridle leather, and it has a little brass piece. And the brass piece is called a finial.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And that's what the closure tab fits around to keep it closed.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Did you ever notice that this one's made a little differently, and that it's lead?
GUEST:
No.
APPRAISER:
And it's also made of pigskin.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
That's a couple of traits of it being a Confederate-manufactured cap box.
GUEST:
Oh!
APPRAISER:
So, somewhere along the line, he decided he was gonna take him home a souvenir, and he got one from the other side.
GUEST:
Excellent.
APPRAISER:
So we have the very well-made one from Pittsburgh, and the one that's made in the South, the Confederate one.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Because they're family, I'm sure they'd be priceless. But have you ever checked into a value?
GUEST:
Never.
APPRAISER:
For collector value, the belt, without the name on it, they usually sell in the $300 range.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Because we have that name and association of your ancestor with it, it'll double that. It'll sell for about $600.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
As for the percussion cap box, the Union one, a lot of them out there.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Even with the name on it. And it's probably worth somewhere in the $150 range.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
The Confederate one is a lot rarer. And we do have the tab. It's separated, but you still have it.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm. Yes.
APPRAISER:
It's amazing that that didn't get lost over the years. One like this, in this condition, will sell for about $1,000.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
So, it's worth more than... (both laughing)
GUEST:
All right. (giggles)
APPRAISER:
So it's worth more than the belt and the other cap box put together.
GUEST:
Amazing. Okay, great.
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