Every once in a great while, grandson may dig through grandma’s attic and discover some antique or vintage Civil War artifact. Or, a rummage through the box at the local flee-market brings about an object from the 1860s. Indeed, unless you get lucky, most of the antique Civil War collectibles today are bought and sold at higher prices. Recently, in fact, the terms of surrender for Robert E. Lee just sold for over $500,000 dollars while a confederate flag recently fetched $179,000 dollars. Even if you don’t have this extra cash lying around, you can still buy Civil War relics or newly produced collectibles at decent prices today.
There are a plethora of war documents left from the Civil War, including bonds, public announcements and diaries and journals. Numerous newspaper articles also exist that tell the story of the Civil War from the perspective of journalists who were living through it (and sometimes actually fighting in the battles themselves). For anyone who is interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the Civil War and expanding beyond the traditional knowledge of the war that is taught in history books, it is essential to begin collecting Civil War documents. Owning and studying these documents will allow the collector to become intimately familiar with the everyday realities of the war and will bring to life the historical stories that have been passed down through generations.
One of the most popular types of Civil War collectibles is the warship replica. The Civil War was played out on both land and water, and boats and warships played a huge role in the course of the war. As such, Civil War warship collectibles are a great way to learn about the maritime battles and to get a feel for what the wartime ships really looked like. Ironclad ships were particularly critical during Civil War battles, and replicas of a number of these ships are available for purchase today. Ships such as the C.S.S. Virginia and the U.S.S. Monitor are available for purchase in a number of stores specializing in Civil War collectibles. These ships will allow collectors to view such intricate details as the canons, rams, and bombs that were part of the boat’s structure.
If coins don’t intrigue your senses, then there are all sorts of other possibilities in starting your first Civil War collectible set. If you like the sound of something directly from the Civil War era, then think about collecting items of slavery. Collectors usually go for sale papers, manumission papers, tags, ads, photos, letters or books. If you’d like to bring history to life, and like sleuthing, find items with autographs or signatures from generals or important persons of the day. Postcards, books, military orders, maps, envelopes, receipts and the like are full of such signatures. You’ll find that once you start looking, it becomes hard to stop.
If you’d like to start your vintage Civil War collection with something other than “paper products,” then try finding teapots and kettles. Or, you can amass products such as artwork, calendars, figurines, games, guns, military souvenirs, such as ammunition, clothing, hats, caps, boots, shoes, tags and the like. Finding a unique idea will lead you in search at some amazing places. Be sure, however, that such hobbies are a lifetime pursuit and should be something you’re really passionate about.
Additionally, reports of battles are also useful to collectors, and provide insight into the way in which battles were viewed at the time. The New York Times, for example, printed a number of articles at the time that discuss battles. There is one article in particular that discusses the Battle of Gettysburg (which took place on the 4th of July, 1863) and that is prized by Civil War collectors. The article is broken down into sections: Incidents of the Battle and List of Killed and Wounded. In flowery language, the journalist describes the bravery of the soldiers and the critical turning points of the battle. The letter is a priceless Civil War collectible!
For those who wish to gain a better and more experiential understanding of the horrors and critical events and battles which took place during the Civil War, becoming a collector of Civil War memorabilia is an invaluable hobby to take up. Not only is it possible to become familiar with some of the most critical items of the war, such as weapons and bullets, one may also learn more about warships that were used during the war. There are many Civil War collectibles besides the three discussed above these include manuscripts, buttons, and confederate bonds. As one begins a Civil War collection, all of these items will become a part of the individual collection that is created, and each individual item will in turn contribute to increasing the collectors knowledge of the American Civil War.