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MODEL 1902 OFFICER’S DRESS CAP: Adopted
at the beginning of the 20th Century, the
Model 1902 Dress Cap introduced a basic style of
military headwear that would continue in service for the
balance of the century with only minimal changes. In
service for only ten years, the series of Model 1902
Caps were soon replaced by the Model 1912, and the Dress
Cap was eliminated, the more decorative Full Dress Cap
serving the officers for all dress occasions. In
addition to the short service life of the Model 1902
Caps, the army was quite small at the time, resulting in
a very low number of the 1902 caps being produced, and
both of these factors contribute to these caps being
fairly scarce.
Featuring a tightly belled crown, this Model 1902
Officer’s Dress Cap is in extremely nice condition,
still holding its shape very well and showing only the
slightest effects of age. The cap badge, embroidered in
gold bullion thread in the design of the coat of arms of
the United States, is complete and though tarnished,
still retains brilliant highlights. The dark blue wool
crown is full form, still retains a nice even color, and
is undamaged save for two small moth nips on the surface
of the material. Surrounding the side of the cap is
what the regulations described as a “band of lustrous
black mohair braid”. While the regulations stipulated
“black” for the color of this band, a number of the
surviving examples of these Dress Caps that I’ve seen in
the past, and in fact the very Model 1902 Dress Cap
attributed to then Chief of Staff of the Army,
Lieutenant General Nelson Miles shown on page 145 of
John Langellier’s Hats Off, Head Dress of the U.S.
Army 1872 -1912, feature the very same color band
seen on this example offered here. Whether the yellow
or gold colored band was a change in the approved
pattern or the result of the “lustrous black mohair
braid” changing color with age and exposure is unknown.
Regardless of the reason, there is no doubt these bands
are original to the caps as the coat of arms on the
front of the cap is embroidered through the band, and
the band could not be replaced without destroying the
embroidery. The mohair band is complete with some minor
wear to the upper edge at the right rear portion of the
band. The enameled black leather visor is full form and
retains an even color with some minor wrinkling to the
surface. The underside of the visor retains the proper
green color. The gold bullion chin strap is intact and
shows no wear, held in place by the two bright service
eagle buttons.
The satin lining of the
crown is fully intact and the maker’s imprint on the
cloth is complete and legible. The leather sweat band
still retains its russet color, showing little evidence
of wear, and still retains the size label at the back of
the cap.
This is a very respectable example of the Model 1902
Officer’s Dress Cap, and one that is not often found
offered to the collector’s market. $495
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