French Second Empire Enlisted M1860 Shako, 41st Regiment

Original era manufacture. Heavy leather construction shako, with a bright gilded brass crowned eagle plate at front. During the American Civil War many thousands of these shako's were imported from France for use by the volunteer regiments forming here. Universally detested by the American soldier, most of these sat unused during the war, and were sold surplus to Bannerman's in later years. Nearly all of the American pattern brass eagles were then removed and melted down for the metal value, with the shakos once more placed in storage. In later years, Bannerman had imitation eagle plates die-struck in brass with simple pin attchments on the reverse. These they installed on the long idle shakos and offered them in their catalogs for may years thereafter. Our example is one of the shakos sent to the states by France in the 1860's, as you can see the tell-tale signs of the four mounting pins in the front of the body. The original American eagle plates, made by the French, utilized a French style single threaded stud which passed through the grommet on the front, then secured by an attaching nut. We have added an original, and correct pattern French Mle 1860 eagle shako plate to make this old warhorse more complete. Missing the sweatband, tricolor cockade and pompom.