Collecting Naval Hat Tallies

An interesting bit of nautical collecting is something called a navy hat tally.  They were ribbons with ship’s names and were worn on both the cloth wheel cap and the tarred straw hats starting around the time of the Civil War, in the U.S. navy.  Some countries also used them on tropical pith helmets.  Wealthy owners of private yachts also had their sailors wear hat tallies with the name of the yacht on the ribbon.  Prestigious steamship lines had their sailors wear hat tallies, often with the steamship line flag embroidered on the ribbon as well.

Circa. 1900 British Bosun's Mate with Hat Tally.

The U.S. Navy 1897 regulation prescribed tallies to be made from navy colored silk ribbon and were one and a half inch wide with the letters of the name of the ship in half inch block letters woven from fine gilt thread or stenciled with gold paint.  The lengths of unissued or unused hat tallies varied from 33 inches to 37 inches.  As a side note, the large diameter cracker jack hat had that had been standard from just after the Civil War was reduced in size by regulation after WWI.

Hat tallies were issued as extremely long ribbons, sometimes as long as 38 inches.  When the hat tally was tied to the hat, a bow was made and the extra long tails were often cut short and neat.  Unissued hat tallies will generally be quite long and tied, issued hat tallies when dismounted from the hat will be considerably shorter.  Retired navy men saved their hat tallies and sometimes cut them down to the legend only for display so expect to see a variety of lengths.

Most major navies had hat tallies and it’s not uncommon to find South American and Italian hat tallies on the market because they are still being used today or were made obsolete only recently.  Hat tallies were not just named ships, but naval duty stations and reserve status might be indicated on a hat tally.

American hat tallies with ship names ended in August 1941, just before America’s entrance into WWII, with the bombing of Pearl Harbor due to security reasons.  Wartime and later hat tallies just said U.S. Navy.  The cracker jack hat went away by the mid 1960s, being a piece of basic issue to new recruits, but seldom worn.

Hat Tally USS Lancaster  1858-1915

Hat Tally USS Machias 1891 to 1919

Be careful of buying hat tallies over the internet.  There are increasing numbers of reproductions being sold as original.  The most common are U.S. Navy hat tallies with the name of famous ships from the civil war to WWII as well as German WWII hat tallies of battleships.

The most common original hat tally is the standard “U.S. Navy” which is worth from $5 to $10 depending on condition.  The post-WWI small navy hat with a common “U.S. Navy” legend sells from $25 to $50, although there are considerable variables in condition.  A named hat from a good ship will bring more and a hat with a pre-war named ship hat tally can be expensive, just be careful of reproductions.

Hat Tally USS Mohican 1883-1921

Hat Tally USS Topeka 1898-1929

This is an rare example of a cross over hat tally. The Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse (Kaiser Wilhelm der Große) started out as a civilian luxury liner and was converted into a light cruiser during WWI and was sunk in the battle of Rio de Oro in 1914.

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse  Luxary Liner-Commerce raider

Norddeutsche Lloyd (NDL) (North German Lloyd) was a Germanshipping company 

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse   1897-1914 

Norddeutsche Lloyd (NDL) (North German Lloyd) Logo

Please note that all actual hat tallies featured in the above images are original and from our collection and are available for purchase. Prices upon request.

For further information go to the following web sites:

Early Hat Tallies
Canadian Hat Tallies  
Sailor Caps
Navy Uniform History
Soar Valley Weaving, Home of Cap Tallies

Two Sailors from the USS St. Louis Note Hat Tally on Right.

Went to an Estate Sale Today

We went to an estate sale this morning and picked up a pretty nice late world war two Japanese shin guntō    Officers sword type 3 with what looks to be a wooden surrender chit. We also found a really cool larger than life size(46 inches tall) bust of a woman that is done in and idealized Victorian era Renascence style that just reeks of quality. This massive sculpture is just awesome I must say.  The only thing about it is that it is made of fiber glass and is not circa 1870's-80's like it looks, but is more than likely late 1970's or 80's!  It is a spectacular piece that was made as either a garden ornament or a prop of some type. Either way it is a very appealing piece and will probably end up in my garden. This piece will be on display at South Coast Antiques & Gallery for a while before it will be moved to my garden, so if you want to stop by and see it, it will be on view.

Idealized Victorian era Renascence Style Bust 

Northwood Alaska Blue Opalescent Glass Sugar & Creamer and Unkown Double Hobstar Bowl

 I had a young woman come into South Coast Antiques & Gallery the other day and sell me some really nice blue opalescent glass pieces. She had a sugar bowl and creamer that are in the northwood pattern known as "Alaska". The "Alaska" pattern was made by the Northwood Glass Company and dates between 1898-1903.  This is a pattern that I was not familiar with. I went online and typed into the Google search engine, "blue opalescent sugar bowl" and was suprised to find almost immeadiatly a thumbnail image of 26 pieces that had been previously been sold.

Northwood Alaska Blue Opalescent Glass Sugar & Creamer Circa 1898-1903

This site told me who made my pieces and what pattern this was. I did a bit of checking around to verify that this was correct information, beacause contary to popular belief just because it is on the internet does not necessarily make it correct information. 

I then looked around online and was suprised at how easy it is to fimd pieces avalable and at moderatly reasonable prices. 

Northwood Alaska Blue Opalescent Glass Creamer 

 I find this pattern truly beautiful and in my opinion it epitomizes the high Victorian tastes of the turn of the century.  The feet on these pieces are what are known as "Lion's Legs". 

Please note that these pieces were photographed before they were cleaned. There is some dust and a small amount of dirt that shows up in the images.  What looks like dirt also in the images is actually traces of what was once gilding on the edges.

Bottom detail of Northwood Alaska Blue Opalescent Glass Sugar Bowl

Blue Opalescent Glass Bowl Double Hobstar Design Eva

There was a third piece of glass, a bowl in the same blue opalescent type of glass. This piece has benn driving me crazy. I have looked in all my books and found nothing.  I have looked at a million pieces of glass online and not found anything at all in this pattern. This pattern has a double "hobstar" pattern that I just can not track down. Until someone can show me what it really is called I will refer to it as "Double Hobstar Eva"

Side Detail Double Hobstar Eva Bowl

This is a really great looking piece of glass that just radiates an almost magical opalescent inner glow. I am very curious as to who made this one, when, and what the pattern is called, if anything. Many patterns did not originally have names they were just given number designations such as pattern number 143.  Many times the names were added to the pattern because that was just what the collectors started calling a specific pattern. 

If anyone has any information about this piece please let me know.  

UPDATE:  I was told by  PatternGlass.Com, That this bowl is a one off piece and was not part of a pattern set. That is why I can not find a pattern name for it. So I guess I will call it the "Double Hobstar Eva" Bowl.  Many thanks to PatternGlass.Com!

A Few New Photos and a Frederic Remington Bronze at South Coast Antiques & Gallery

Here are a few new images of the shop that I took today.

This case has a variety of things  such as 19th century spelter figurines, a 1920's red flapper's box camera, 1870 top hat, Pre WWII boxed childs cutlery set, Pair of Victorian ivory paintings, Bristol ware glass, Santa Clara blackware pottery, Large sterling silver oval vanity mirror, assorted antique ivory jewelry and ornaments, including an African chiefs horn.  Also included are Japanese geisha doll, squash blossom necklace, a Harrach glass and gilt vase. Tiffany Favrile footed glass salt dip, Sterling Coach chain and lock necklace, 1860's gold and garnet necklace.  The bottom shelf has vintage Shearwater figurines which a very rare cabin shaped cookie jar, Fred Press original plaster art deco bust, A matched set of three Sea foam blue victorian opaline ware containers, Black Victorian mourning fan, Large niello sterling Siam belt, and a small grouping of early William Spratling jewelry, plus many other items.

In this case we have a very rare circa 1870's Ames sword company sign, a pre WWI Bavarian reservist regimental stein, early 1800s Ottoman Empire inlaid blunderbuss, a bone mounted late Mejii dagger, a Malaysian watered steel kris, African trade spear point, Spanish bone handed bull fighting sword, a shamshir, Spanish 1820s uprising briquet sword, very early Dragoon sword, 1840s single shot percussion pistol, a WWII  Japanese NCO's sword, a WWII Japanese officer's sword, rare pre-kerosene smugglers black out lantern, Austrian pioneers sword from the 1820s, 1840s newspapers masthead American eagle printers block, 19th century Persian tile, an image of an Italian Alpine trooper circa 1910, small bugle, early 1900s handcuffs, African dagger, German guild processional axe, WWII aircraft gun camera, a Spanish shipwreck coin and a very large Remington bronze mountain man sculpture.

This handy little corner cabinet has on top an Indian painted water bottle with folkloric scenes, and inside the case is a large Fenton art glass vase by Robert Barber, a white bronze Coptic cross with hand painted inset panels, A Victorian red on crystal basket, A Rosie O'Neal Kewpie cup, A scarce paper thin milk glass hand enamel painted beer stein circa 1820's, A hand painted wooden Russian peasant mug by Michael W, Moses, and a early 1900's creamware Mettlach, German stein, and on the bottom shelf is a mid 1950's Murano glass bowl. Next to the case is a French provincial style table from the turn of the century. On this table is a medium sized Persian samovar, a Japanesque American made caster set by Reed & Barton, An Egyptian motif oil lamp, a moss rose Japanese made 1950's coffee table set, a Japanese made lustreware bowl, and a set of circa 1910 Royal Doulton plate and bowls. Underneath the table is a 1930's fan and a coal fueled iron, a common flat iron, a tall reproduction fireplace trivet, and a vintage cooper tea pot. off to the side we see a early 1900's ships wheel and WWII liberty ship binnacle with compass and a matching set of craftsman leaded glass door panels circa 1915.  Well these are a few of the things that we currently have in stock at South Coast Antiques & Gallery!

Now for the big news. We have acquired a wonderful extremely fine casting of a Frederic Remington bronze. This wok of art is 28½ inches tall and is called the "Mountain Man".  This bronze sculpture is one of the finest quality Remington bronzes that we have ever seen! The detail is amazing. Every detail on this piece is just incredible. Everything from the liver sulfur patina to the exquisite mirror polished French slate base shows this to be a truly superior work of art.

"Mountain Man" by Frederic Remington

       

Victorian Civil War Era Swords into plowshares Brooch at South Coast Antiques & Gallery-SOLD

The plow has been a metaphor for the peaceful occupation of mankind since the beginning of agriculture thousands of years ago.  In the Bible Isaiah 2:4 says, “They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”

This gold over lay pin is a perfect example of a mid 19th century peace movement brooch.  It shows a Victorian era plow merged with a saber or sword.  Overlaid on the plow is a peace lily and where the sword meets the plow is a garnet, which in Victorian iconography and jewelry indicates both blood and mourning, which is very appropriate and appear on many Georgian and pre 1860 mourning jewelry items.

The first peace movement documented was a satirical work by the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. Titled Lysistrata it was weitten around 441 B.C. protesting the Peloponnesian War.  In the United States, peace societies began to appear starting just after the War of 1812 to the present.  The 1840s saw such literary types as Ralph Waldo Emerson and David Thoreau broaden the appeal of peace groups.  Even during the American Civil War, there was a small peace movement.  After the Civil War peace groups re-emerged from hiatus and continued on to the present time, sometimes blurring the distinction between peace movement and anti-war movement.

Plowshares were not always a peaceful tool as seen it could also sow war as in the dreaded monster Hydra, killed by Hercules as his second of twelve labors in ancient Greek legend.  The Romans used the plow as a weapon and plowed up the Phoenician capital of Carthage after the Third Punic War in 146 B.C. and sowed salt to ensure that nothing would grow in that spot again. 

The plow has been around since humans began to use agriculture some 8,000 years ago, propelling us into the modern age.  The concept in ancient times was that metal was precious and thus was used and reused in various ways, both in war and peace and making that transformation a metaphor for peace. 

This scarce historic jewel is available for viewing at South Coast Antiques & Gallery in Ocean Springs,MS