Chapter I: Front Matter

BOOKS FOR COLLECTORS

_With Frontispieces and many Illustrations_
_Large Crown 8vo, cloth._

CHATS ON ENGLISH CHINA.
By ARTHUR HAYDEN.

CHATS ON OLD FURNITURE.
By ARTHUR HAYDEN.

CHATS ON OLD PRINTS.
(How to collect and value Old Engravings.)
By ARTHUR HAYDEN.

CHATS ON COSTUME.
By G. WOOLLISCROFT RHEAD.

CHATS ON OLD LACE AND NEEDLEWORK.
By E. L. LOWES.

CHATS ON ORIENTAL CHINA.
By J. F. BLACKER.

CHATS ON OLD MINIATURES.
By J. J. FOSTER, F.S.A.

CHATS ON ENGLISH EARTHENWARE.
By ARTHUR HAYDEN.

CHATS ON AUTOGRAPHS.
By A. M. BROADLEY.

CHATS ON PEWTER.
By H. J. L. J. MASSÉ, M.A.

CHATS ON POSTAGE STAMPS.
By FRED. J. MELVILLE.

CHATS ON OLD JEWELLERY AND TRINKETS.
By MACIVER PERCIVAL.

CHATS ON COTTAGE AND FARMHOUSE FURNITURE.
By ARTHUR HAYDEN.

CHATS ON OLD COINS.
By FRED. W. BURGESS.

CHATS ON OLD COPPER AND BRASS.
By FRED. W. BURGESS.

CHATS ON HOUSEHOLD CURIOS.
By FRED. W. BURGESS.

CHATS ON OLD SILVER.
By ARTHUR HAYDEN.

CHATS ON JAPANESE PRINTS.
By ARTHUR DAVISON FICKE.

CHATS ON MILITARY CURIOS.
By STANLEY C. JOHNSON.

_In Preparation._

CHATS ON BARGAINS.
By CHARLES E. JERNINGHAM.

CHATS ON OLD CLOCKS AND WATCHES.
By ARTHUR HAYDEN.

LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN, LTD.

NEW YORK: F. A. STOKES COMPANY.

CHATS ON
MILITARY CURIOS

_Frontispiece._

CHATS ON
MILITARY CURIOS

BY

STANLEY C. JOHNSON
M.A., D.Sc., F.R.E.S.

WITH EIGHTY ILLUSTRATIONS

NEW YORK
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
PUBLISHERS

TO
G. M. J.

THIS BOOK IS GRATEFULLY
DEDICATED

(_All rights reserved_)

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN

CONTENTS

PAGE

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 13

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION 17

Preliminary considerations--Where to search for curios--What
to search for--Specializing--Undesirable curios--The
catalogue of the Royal United Service Museum--Public
collections of military curios

CHAPTER II

REGIMENTAL NOMENCLATURE 27

Household Cavalry--Dragoon Guards--Cavalry--Artillery
--Engineers--Guards--Infantry, both past and present
nomenclature--Other units

CHAPTER III

REGIMENTAL CRESTS 39

The fascination of regimental crests--How to plan a collection
of crests--The changes which crests undergo--The
meaning of crests--Mottoes on crests, and their meanings

CHAPTER IV

MILITARY UNIFORMS 53

The growth of uniforms--The effect of the decline in armour
on uniforms--The part played by Elizabeth--Uniforms in
the time of the Civil War--In Charles II's reign--James II--The
first two Georges--Uniforms in the Peninsular War--The
close-fitting uniforms of George IV--The changes which
were brought about in William IV's time--Later changes--
Peculiarities of the military dress of to-day

CHAPTER V

ARMOUR 69

The scarcity of good armour--Considerations for the
collector--Counterfeit armour--The twelve periods in
armour--The characteristics of each period--Glossary

CHAPTER VI

WEAPONS 89

Buying specimens--Storing them--Hand culverins--The
serpentin--The wheel-lock--The flint-lock--The rifle--Swords--The
effect of armour on swords--Swords with
historical associations--Other weapons

CHAPTER VII

EARLY BRITISH WAR MEDALS 105
How to arrange a collection of medals--Factors which
influence the value of a medal--The earliest medals--The
first English medal--The first English military medal--The
Forlorn Hope medal--The Dunbar medal--The Culloden
medal--Medals granted by the Honourable East India Company--The
Pope's medal, 1793--The Emperor Francis II
of Germany's medal, 1794--The Seringapatam medal--The
Egyptian medal, 1801--The Rodriguez medal--The Nepaul
medal--The Maida medal--The Peninsular Officers' medal

CHAPTER VIII

MILITARY MEDALS STRUCK BY THE MINT 135

Campaign medals considered--Waterloo--Burmah--China--
Cabul--Jellalabad--Scinde--Meanee--Sobroan--The
men's Peninsular medal--Punjab--Indian General Service medals--
South Africa, 1850-3; also 1877-9--Baltic--Crimea--Indian
Mutiny--Abyssinia--New Zealand--Later awards

CHAPTER IX

MILITARY DECORATIONS AWARDED FOR SPECIAL SERVICES 163

The necessity for special awards--The Victoria Cross--The
Order of Merit--The "Distinguished Conduct in the Field"
award--The Distinguished Service Order--The Meritorious
Service award--The Long Service and Good Conduct
award--The "Best Shot" medal--Volunteer decorations--Other
decorations

CHAPTER X

MILITARY MEDALLIONS 181

General considerations--The "lost wax" process--Hadrian's
medallions--Renaissance examples--Simon, the
medallist--Wyon's work--Public collections--Some noted
medallions described

CHAPTER XI

MILITARY PRINTS 195

The period 1750-1860--Works including military prints--Where
to search for bargains--The kind of print most
sought after--Works including fine military prints--Bunbury--
Gillray

CHAPTER XII

MEMORIAL BRASSES OF MILITARY INTEREST 209

Classes of military brasses--Rubbings and how to make
them--Floor brasses, their characteristics--Palimpsest
brasses--What may be learnt from brasses--Mural tablets

CHAPTER XIII

AUTOGRAPHS OF GREAT SOLDIERS 221

The fascination of autograph collecting--Points which
influence the value of an autograph--Autographs classified--A
"Schomberg" letter--The notes scribbled by Airey at
Balaclava--General hints--Prices of autographs

CHAPTER XIV

WAR POSTAGE STAMPS 241

The earliest war stamps--Stamps used in the Crimean War--The
British Army Post Office Corps--The Sudan Expedition--The
South African campaign--The Great War--Recent
war stamps and post-marks--Indian war stamps--Other
war stamps

CHAPTER XV

WAR MONEY 261

French obsidional notes--Mafeking notes--The Napoleonic
assignats--Charles II and University plate--Mints at
Carlisle, Beeston, Scarborough, Newark, Colchester, and
Pontefract--Irish gun money

CHAPTER XVI

CURIOS MADE BY PRISONERS OF WAR 287

Objects recently made in Holland--The Napoleonic
prisoners at Norman Cross, Perth, Dartmoor, Stapleton,
Liverpool, and Greenland Valleyfield

CHAPTER XVII

MISCELLANEOUS MILITARY CURIOS 299

Considerations respecting miscellaneous curios--Battlefield
souvenirs--Regimental colours--Odds and ends of dress
equipment--Books and newspapers of military interest--Royal
souvenirs--Official military documents--Gruesome
relics--Relics of the Great War