Civil War Cavalry Pistol Cartridge Box for Colt or Remington Revolver

This is a very nice Civil War Pistol Cartridge Box that appears to be an unissued Civil War surplus. This box would be placed on the back of a cavalryman's utility belt along with his pistol holster, sword hanger, and cap pouch. They're usually not visible in photos but we were able to find one original photo of a Union cavalryman with the box on his side...See photo. Inside, there are dividers for placing rows of pre-wrapped combustible cartridges either for the .44 caliber Colt 1860 Army and Remington Models 1858, 1863 New Army, .36 caliber Colt Navy, or any of the various contracted pistols purchased by the Union Army during the Civil War. It appears to be unmarked, although identical to ones we've seen made by E . Gaylord of Chicopee, MA. Like most Gaylords, it has the asterisk symbols on the back and underneath the flap. Stitching is perfect. At 150+ years old, the leather is in remarkably strong condition and still has its original dark tanned finish. No rips or tears. It's amazing that in spite of all the leather products out there, this pouch has now lived in or through parts of three different centuries with apparently nothing added to enhance or preserve the leather. That said, it is a little stiff but perhaps that is the way to go in terms of long term preservation if the item is not going to be used or flexed on a regular basis and stored in a stable environment. These cartridge boxes typically bring over $200 in half the condition this one has but since it is unmarked, we are going to price it low! If you're putting a nice Civil War revolver rig together, this is a "must have" item!

Item# 0788

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