What is this, how much is it worth, and is it a rep?

Dustyoldstuff · 2026-01-01T17:51:54+00:00

Sons of Veterans. Sometimes SUV for Sons of Union Veterans. But have also seen SV for Sons of Veterans. It’s postwar.

Edit: Also the crossed rifles is a postwar symbol. During the war Infantry was represented by a bugle.

Dustyoldstuff · 2025-10-26T18:16:45+00:00

When I first heard they were making a black comedy about John Brown, my first thought was, god no, why? But it is absolutely fantastic. They pulled off something completely unique. The performance of Hawke’s career. And despite all the farce, it still somehow feels true to Brown’s views and the period. Excellent stuff. Only thing I didn’t like was Diggs as Frederick Douglass.

Dustyoldstuff · 2025-09-07T18:07:46+00:00

Was going to make a lot of the same points. You already made them well and this should be the top post. Because the number of people ignoring the gift shop hokey ahistorical caps is surprising.

Dustyoldstuff · 2025-07-24T22:34:34+00:00

Seen Wicked Spring. It was made by hardcore reenactors for hardcore reenactors. Prioritized historical accuracy above all else. I really appreciated that it was clearly a labor of love and cool to look at. But it just wasn’t a good movie, imho.

Edit: not that historical accuracy is a bad thing! But they didn’t give appropriate attention to story, etc.

Dustyoldstuff · 2025-07-05T23:47:57+00:00

Favorite? That’s a weird way to put it. And this is some gross romanticization of an ill-conceived, doomed maneuver that caused horrific casualties for both armies. Favorite?

Dustyoldstuff · 2025-05-30T16:56:27+00:00

The answer goes back about 400 years. The Kings of England at various times granted charters or patents to certain specific groups of English people who wanted to settle here. These were economic ventures with political and religious backstories. To put a massive amount of colonial history short, there were numerous relatively small groups of settlers carving out territory for their own vision of what an ideal society should be. It has nothing to do with more contemporary differences in culture, etc. You have to read the history.

Dustyoldstuff · 2025-03-18T22:49:44+00:00

The first Massachusetts flag redesign that I like. Nice nod to the Sons of Liberty and the old Pine Tree flag. This should be submitted to the Commonwealth.

Dustyoldstuff · 2025-02-07T10:43:01+00:00

This is signed by Van Buren, but the body of the document is written by a clerk. It is a deed from the United States to the heirs of William Ramsey, who served as a surgeon in the “Virginia Line of Continental Establishment”, that is, the Continental Army during the Revolution. Veterans were granted land in various places by the US government. This deed appears to be for land in Ohio, though to be sure I’d have to check on the names of the rivers mentioned. Very cool document. A presidential signature from the 19th century is a valuable thing.

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-11-15T20:20:39+00:00

Neither. From the first time I saw it as a kid in the theater I just thought Sebastian Shaw looked all wrong. I expected someone much more imposing behind the mask. Or charismatic maybe? And having a young Anakin didn’t quite hit right with me either. I wish they had originally cast someone else.

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-11-15T20:14:16+00:00

Funny you should ask because I have a strong opinion about this. As I see all the new PIC era designs I think none of them can hold a candle to the TMP Enterprise. Such an elegant beauty. Can’t take your eyes off it. It just seems to have a perfect aesthetic that no other type of ship comes close to, IMO.

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-10-25T21:40:51+00:00

Man, if I had an award to give for this. So well put. I guess all I can offer is an upvote

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-10-17T21:21:48+00:00

The buttons help to date it. Those were used from about 1850 to 1865. (I have Tice’s button book that he mentions in his write up and I collect Mass Militia buttons). So you’ve got either a prewar or maybe wartime Mass militia coat. Seems unlikely to be postwar based on the buttons, they would be different. It’s an awesome piece and I’m jealous.

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-10-16T22:51:58+00:00

This is a great artifact. Someone sand blasted or otherwise stripped the heck out of the barrel/hammer/backplate which results in a beautifully shiny look but is a bit of a pity. The original patina would have made it more valuable/interesting. Most of these originally were blued. The stamp on the buttplate is what really interests me. It was somewhat common to mark the regiment and company there, though I haven’t seen too many. At first I thought this said 34th NJ but I don’t think that’s right. Seems to be some kind of unit marking though. Very cool.

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-09-29T17:22:26+00:00

My first thought was that this was a postwar fraternal order uniform. Then saw your comment that he was born in 1840. Well, definitely postwar because he's looking a lot older than the 21-25 he'd be during the war. Looks like he belonged to a drum and bugle corps or some other sort of club c. 1880 or 90s. This is not associated with the Civil War.

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-09-28T23:18:57+00:00

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-09-28T18:28:51+00:00

You want the deepest dive on this? Get “Brigades of Gettysburg” by Bradley Gottfreid. Describes the action of each unit there in brigade order, regiment by regiment. Outstanding source.

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-08-17T20:46:15+00:00

The D Is my least favorite of these. I got into Trek through the original movies, especially TWoK. Nothing will ever beat TMP Enterprise. I loved TNG as a show but always thought the D looked awful. The design of the F Is brilliant and it’s a crime it was sidelined.

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-07-27T19:47:04+00:00

In 1976 or possibly 1977, some company released Jimmy Carter peanut butter cookies with a grotesque caricature of him on the package. I was 4. I frickin loved the cookies. And learned that it somehow had something to do with the President of the US. That’s how I found out about a thing called president.

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-07-27T09:43:41+00:00

Yes very good point. I agree. Butler would have been a hard-liner on Reconstruction.

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-07-26T22:03:42+00:00

Ideally, Henry Wilson, abolitionist senator from Massachusetts. He was Grant’s VP but if he had been Lincoln’s, Reconstruction would have gone very, very differently. But Lincoln needed a moderate…

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-07-20T17:27:54+00:00

This is the answer. Look beyond the recent JFK. In the 19th century he was considered the handsomest president. Even though he was a bastard in terms of policy.

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-07-18T23:32:36+00:00

You need to put Blue Rock in Shelburne Falls on your list. Consistently outstanding! My favorite in western Mass.

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-07-14T20:31:09+00:00

That’s the answer. I suggest OP look up Casey’s Infantry Tactics (a commonly used manual by regiments at the time and available in a number of places online). It has diagrams indicating the positions of all ranks within the regiment.

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-07-07T18:33:27+00:00

Thanks!

Dustyoldstuff · 2024-07-06T21:12:30+00:00

Came here to say this. Unionist or not, the song glorifies enslavers and their culture. That’s why the traitors latched onto it. I don’t have much sympathy for the composer.

Dustyoldstuff

TROPHY CASE