Pair of Darkened US Army Hat Eagles

The eagle on the left is in the style used for hat eagles used between 1851 and 1872. This was the type of eagle worn on the Civil War era Hardy Hat, holding the brim up to the crown at the side, similar to the Aussie slouch hat. The device is regulation size, 2 ½ inches tall by 2 inches wide. Typical of enlisted hat eagles of the era, it is brass (as shown by the scratch on the back) and originally was held in place by wires, which have broken off over the years.

The mystery is that the eagle has been treated with a dull black oxide type coating. I have no idea why, when, or for whom this coating was applied. I picked this up through a Roger Steffen’s Militaria auction catalogue back before the advent of internet auctions.

The eagle on the right is in the style worn from 1902 to present on an officer’s billed cap. It’s 1 7/8 inches wide by 2 1/4 inches tall. Once again the base metal is brass, although thinner than other eagles I have examined. It is attached to the cap by a center screw and nut, with a couple of pins near the wing tips to keep the insignia from turning.

The mystery: The eagle has received a professional coat of dark brown lacquer. This time I have some clues. Some internet sites have sold brown eagles like this and date them to WWII. I got this example mixed in with a lot of WWII era British regimental cap badges in an eBay auction from a seller in the UK.