1850s to Civil War Period Beaver Stovepipe Hat and Original Box

1. 1850s to Civil War Period Beaver Stovepipe Hat and Original Box – These definitively period, beaver, stovepipe style hats have become rather difficult to find; all too often, we see later hats that are purported to be from the war era. Original, mid-19^th stovepipe hats need to exhibit the following characteristics: sit flat on a surface (no upward curve to the brim); unbound brims; beaver fur around the top, upside brim and underside brim of the hat; black, usually narrow, grosgrain ribbon surrounding the exterior of the crown; often a slight concavity of the crown, in profile; wide, leather sweatband; “wallpaper” lining, sometimes with the embossed maker’s or label printer’s mark or name on the interior top of the crown. This hat conforms to all of the aforementioned, requisite characteristics and remains in excellent condition. The hatmaker’s or label printer’s name is gold embossed on the interior of the crown – “ SAML SPANGLER/ EAST MAIN ST./YORK, PA.“***The hat’s original box, a markedly more rare accompaniment, is in fair condition, for such a fragile item, exhibiting with some paper losses. Most intriguing is the original, period owner’s name, inked on the top of the box’s exterior: “F.(?) H. Chapman”.

***Samuel H. Spangler

16th PA Infantry
( 3-mos )

Samuel Henry Spangler