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Model 1851 New Jersey Militia Shako Cap with Box

Value (2015) | $3,000 Auction – $5,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
This is my great-great-grandfather's Civil War hat. It's been handed down through the family. And I wanted to bring it in to get some more information about it.

APPRAISER:
This is what's called a model 1851 Shako, and they were used till the later part of the 1850s. They're very rare, there's not that many that survive anymore. It was actually pre-Civil War, and later on they changed styles of cap. They took the stiffener out and the top crown here flopped down towards the visor. So it was a lot more comfortable cap. This particular cap has the insignia here, with a wreath and an "NJ" for New Jersey. It's got a painted leather chin strap, and if we look on the side, we've got general service buttons here for an officer. If we turn it back around and take a look on the inside, you can see it's got its sweatband in tact, which is extremely rare, and there's a silk liner. Silk normally would not survive this long. It's a little bit tattered, but it's still in place. Inside is also Smith Young & Company in New York City. It also has its original pasteboard box with the name and the maker here. Now, as far as taking care of it, I would not keep it in the box. I would take the newspaper out and I would put this in an acid-free box with acid-free paper and keep the two separate. Because if you keep the newspaper and everything else in there, it's eventually going to eat away at the lining and destroy the rest of the cap, which we don't want to do. Having the two together is fairly rare. It's rare enough that this cap even exists the way it does. But with the box, it's going to add a little bit of value to it. In an auction setting, this cap would probably be in the $3,000 to $5,000 range. It's in great condition.

GUEST:
Great, great. Thank you.

APPRAISER:
You're welcome.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Joel Bohy
Arms & Militaria
Bruneau & Co Auctioneers
Cranston, RI
Appraised value (2015)
$3,000 Auction – $5,000 Auction
Featured In
Spokane, Hour 3 (#2003)
Event
Spokane, WA (June 06, 2015)
Category
Arms & Militaria
Period
19th Century
Form
Box , Hat
Material
Silk

Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.

Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."

Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.

Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.

Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.

Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.

Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.

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