VERY RARE – Hat Insignia for the Royal French Marines, recovered at Battle of Carillon, NY

This is the first time I came across one of these rare items, it is a heavy brass insignia with the French “fleur-de-lis”,  measuring 2 ¼” x 1 ¾”. They were sewed to the hats of the Royal French Marines (see pictures). This one was recovered at the Battle of Carillon, NY.

The "Royal French Marines" refer to the Compagnies Franches de la Marine, the elite regular infantry of the French Navy that served as the backbone of New France's colonial defense. They played crucial roles in reconnaissance, frontier skirmishes, and the famous defense of Fort Carillon during the French and Indian War.

The Battle of Carillon (July 1758) General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm commanded about 3,600 men, including French regulars (troupes de la terre) and a vital contingent of Canadian colonial marines and militia. While heavily outnumbered by over 15,000 British  troops, the French forces used log breastworks and abatis to repel deadly British frontal assaults, resulting in a devastating British defeat.

By 1759, British forces returned under General Jeffery Amherst. French General François-Charles de Bourlemaque, recognized he could not hold the fort and executed an organized retreat down Lake Champlain to Crown Point. Captain de Hebecourt of the La Reine Regiment remained at the fort with a 400-man rear guard—which included a contingent of French Marines—to delay the British with artillery fire before abandoning and blowing up the fort. The British subsequently rebuilt and renamed it Fort Ticonderoga.

Like I said, this is the first time I came across one of these rare insignias – very few have survived, and it is in very nice condition. It comes in the glass top display case pictured.

With the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding this year, interest in the Revolutionary War and its relics is expected to significantly increase. This renewed enthusiasm will drive demand for virtually all Revolutionary War artifacts, further contributing to their scarcity and rising prices.

Already, I am witnessing a notable uptick in purchases of these items, which reflects the growing anticipation for the anniversary and the heightened value of Revolutionary War memorabilia.