Unissued Scabbard for the U.S. Model 1855 Rifled Musket with Stamping Showing Manufacture by J.I. Pitman

Unissued Scabbard for the U.S. Model 1855 Rifled Musket with Stamping Showing Manufacture by J.I. Pitman – Recently, we obtained the remnants of a large militaria collection gathered by a collector in the 1950s from Bannerman’s store on Broadway in New York City. The collection had been housed in a storage unit in a rural area in eastern Virginia, for many years. Contained in the collection was a somewhat wide range of eras of U.S. military items from pre-Civil War to WWI; we will be gradually cataloging the various items and slowly putting them on our site. Amongst the wide range of items was this fine condition, M1855 Saber Bayonet Scabbard; of note is the diminutive stamping on the back side of the scabbard, near the brass throat that reads:

“????

J.I. PITTMAN”

Well known by most collectors today, Pittman, by the 1850s, had been in the military goods business since the mid-1840s; he apparently had some business connections with Henry Dingee, as well as other period contractors. Pittman would later have multiple government contracts, during the Civil War, for infantry, cavalry and artillery accoutrements. This scabbard remains in overall excellent condition; the black bridle leather of the scabbard retains its complete, non-flaking, original finish; the brass throat and tip are in fine condition, as well. These scabbards are usually found in heavily used or relatively poor condition; additionally, this is the first that we have encountered with a Pittman stamping.