USS Monitor sailor's coat conserved, displayed. Who did it belong to?

[Picket]

Puzzle solved: USS Monitor coat reassembled, displayed. Second puzzle: Who owned it? http://civil-war-picket.blogspot.com...itor-coat.html

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: USS Monitor sailor's coat conserved, displayed. Who did it belong to?

Could this have been some form of paletot, or perhaps an overcoat?

The “hybrid” dark blue, double-breasted coat was modified to serve as part of a U.S. Navy uniform. It’s a mix of a standard sack coat in the front, with a fitted, vented back of a classic frock coat.

[PieBoy96]

Re: USS Monitor sailor's coat conserved, displayed. Who did it belong to?

This is undoubtedly a sailor's "pea jacket," and really could have been worn by any sailor., and attached are some photos of sailors wearing this jacket. Many thousands were contracted by the Navy ranging in cost from around $9-$11.50 each, but unfortunately, the USS Monitor example is the only one known to survive. Their styling is almost identical to a citizen's overcoat, so I suspect that in the post war years as these made their way out of service, the unique buttons were replaced with civilian ones for everyday wear. This would help explain the large quantities of original USN rubber buttons floating around today, but no known original jackets. I can't help but wonder if any of these jackets reside in collections of CW-era civilian garments.