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ORIGINAL .58 CALIBER TOMPION – VERY DESIRABLE
SOLDIER CARVED TO IDENTIFY HIS RIFLE: A
standard .58 caliber Tompion issued from the adoption of
the Model 1855 longarms, through the Civil War and early
Indian War years, and adding to the value of this
specimen is the soldier applied carving to the bulbous
head.
There is a “H” carved in the top of the head of this
tompion to allow the soldier to readily and quickly
identify his rifle in a stack of arms. Years ago these
carved tompions were actively sought by collectors as
one of the earliest examples of war time soldier “trench
art” and they have all but disappeared from today’s
market. This .58 caliber specimen and a carved .54
caliber tompion (shown in a separate listing in this
section) were recently found in a very old collection,
and it is a real pleasure to be able to list this
special offering.
Each soldier was issued one of these to prevent debris
and moisture from getting into the barrel of his rifle.
Despite the obvious evidence of issue and use, this
tompion is in very good to excellent condition and will
be a very nice addition to your collection. (0906) $100
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