Napoleonic-style U.S. Eagle Sunburst for 1830s Dress Shako

This is a very rare piece being offered, it is a Napoleonic-style eagle on a sunburst which was adopted for wear on the dress shakos of U.S. dragoons in 1833. It is an officer’s quality plate with the eagle of stamped brass attached to an octagonal sunburst backing plate that was gilt. (See sample shakos with the eagle).

This one shows age but is complete with the fastening loops on the reverse to attach the eagle – there is a dull brass tone on the sunburst. Militia units were quick to follow the regular army and find not only complete plates like this in militia hands but sometimes just the eagle on headgear and even belt plates.

The plate has great detail. The eagle’s feathers and wreath of victory are well defined. It might be tempting to clean it slightly to bring up the contrast between the background and eagle, but I prefer to leave things untouched. It would be a nice addition to a military headgear display, but also to a collection devoted to the early westward expansion of the U.S. in the 1830s. It comes in the glass top display case pictured.