3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

[Company Tailor]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

The jacket looks to me like a "pam and oven" fake to me. There is allot of sneeky aging tricks out there to make things look, feel, even smell old. Without seeing something like this up close or without a certificate of authenticity I wouldnt touch it.

Amen brother, amen.

I didn't want to go into all the processes of how to age something for fear of giving anyone out there ideas. There are some very imaginative methods and there isn't anything that can't be counterfeited these days.

Some of you have heard this experience from me before, but I once encountered a jacket I had made for a "gentleman" for sale at a show, complete with original buttons, bullet hole and blood stains for an obscene amount of money and words to the effect, "Can't be sure of it's authenticity, but...." in the description on the price tag. Besides the shock of the blatant dishonesty of the seller I was floored at how good a job he had done stressing the jacket to make it look like the real McCoy. Needless to say I made very sure the jacket did not enter the market as an original. I still check the guy's eBay auctions from time to time. From that time on I began marking all my reproductions, in an incospicuous way, as a repro.

If it weren't such dangerous knowledge it would be a fascinating topic for a thread. And why is it the fakers always try to pawn off bogus Confederate items? As a Union man I have to say I feel slighted.

Cheers.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

Amen brother, amen.

I didn't want to go into all the processes of how to age something for fear of giving anyone out there ideas. There are some very imaginative methods and there isn't anything that can't be counterfeited these days.

Some of you have heard this experience from me before, but I once encountered a jacket I had made for a "gentleman" for sale at a show, complete with original buttons, bullet hole and blood stains for an obscene amount of money and words to the effect, "Can't be sure of it's authenticity, but...." in the description on the price tag. Besides the shock of the blatant dishonesty of the seller I was floored at how good a job he had done stressing the jacket to make it look like the real McCoy. Needless to say I made very sure the jacket did not enter the market as an original. I still check the guy's eBay auctions from time to time. From that time on I began marking all my reproductions, in an incospicuous way, as a repro.

If it weren't such dangerous knowledge it would be a fascinating topic for a thread. And why is it the fakers always try to pawn off bogus Confederate items? As a Union man I have to say I feel slighted.

Cheers.

Pat (long time no see)

I know a couple of guys in St Petersburg Russia, making 20th century fakes, that go to so far as buy old peoples clothing to pull the thread rayon linings etc. Along with original woolens, buttons, and some really amaizing aging processes, the end product cannot told from an original.

(Sorry if I am bringing up 20th century stuff, but I feel it is relivant to the thread.)

It just goes to show you, people will do allot to sell one item that can pay their rent for a year. Buyer beware!

[Possum Skinner]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

And why is it the fakers always try to pawn off bogus Confederate items? As a Union man I have to say I feel slighted.

Cheers.

That one is pretty simple. Confederate items bring more money because of rarity and the cashing in on the "lost cause" legacy. There is less known about Confederate material culture and so it is easier to hoodwink people. If you're going to counterfeit and go to jail, why go to jail making fives and tens? Make twenties, fifties and hundreds.

[Matt Caldwell]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

Here are some blown up pics of the item. Not much I could do with the low res. but it will give you an idea of what Pat was talking about in regards to the button holes.

Personally, I think it just looks "too dirty" as in intended to look dirty. There is just something that doesnt sit well with me, especially when confed jackets begin in the thousands, and if the circumstance is right, you could be talking 6 figures.

[D1861]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

Several years ago an antique dealer in Atlanta was buying up all of the period clothing he could get his hands on, disassembling it, and making Confederate flags. I've seen several fake flags come through estate sells in northern Mississippi and Alabama in recent years. Apparently there's a forger somewhere in the region making them. I've seen people artificially age wood with Red Devil lye.

[pipthelimey]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

Umm, the acronym "GA" for georgia....Isn't that a 20th century Post Office invention? Seems to me like every acronym I see in period records is "Geo."

Seems to me like someone got taken for $3550.....


Andrew Jerram

[marlin teat]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

Umm, the acronym "GA" for georgia....Isn't that a 20th century Post Office invention? Seems to me like every acronym I see in period records is "Geo."

Seems to me like someone got taken for $3550.....


Andrew Jerram

The abbreviation "Ga." is used quite widely in period newspapers and documents (including service records, etc.) so that can't be used in dating the uniform. (I've never run across Geo. as an abbreviation that I remember).

I'm not an expert and I defer to other's judgement but I do have a tintype of a pvt. in the 22nd Ga. (same brigade as the 3rd) taken in Norfolk in 1862 wearing a jacket that is remarkably similar. My scanner is down but I will attempt to get the photo on line as soon as I can.

[Hank Trent]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

Umm, the acronym "GA" for georgia....Isn't that a 20th century Post Office invention? Seems to me like every acronym I see in period records is "Geo."

It may well be a fake, but not for that reason. Try a search of the ORs for "Atlanta, Ga." The 20th century part is using two capitol letters without a period, when other parts of the address are in caps and lower case. But "Atlanta, Ga." actually shows up much more commonly in the ORs than "Atlanta, Geo."

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[65thgainf]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

Some of the heavy hitters, people like D.Troanni, etc...also check ebay. I imagine they also saw this auction and passed on it. I believe an authentic jacket would be in the 40-50k range. Authentic and I'D - 60k - to whatever a museum or someone who had the bucks were willing to pay.

I think only a textile expert would be able to confirm authenticity. I also agree that if an item stands even a snowballs chance in **** that it was worth 60k...someone would have it checked out and not let it go for 3500.

Jerry Holmes