Civil War Swords

The great majority of swords in use by both armies was based upon or were, standard patterns issued by the old US army and these were in turn copies of British and French models from before the war.  
The model 1840 and 1860 cavalry sabers were predominant among Union horse brigades and a great many Confederates carried them as well (after picking them up from the battlefield).  Dozens of patterns were manufactured by Confederate makers, but the basic designs between the two sides differed very little.  Officers on both sides for instance carried the model 1840 or the lighter model 1841 light artillery saber.  It should be noted that many commanders, especially from the Confederacy, brought their own blades from home.

The 1840 non commissioned sword was carried by American soldiers for over 70 years; a period which included the Mexican War, Civil War and Spanish American War. The single edged blade has a single broad fuller running from the ricasso to near the point. The entire hilt is cast brass and the grip is ribbed. Pommel is global with a capstan. Grip is flanked by kidney-shaped hand guards.

The other one 1860 Light Cavalry Union saber is British military spec steel that will flex over 20° and return to true. Leather handle is wire wrapped. Curving blade is superbly designed for penetration (thrust) and as a slashing weapon. Originally copied from an earlier French issue saber and manufactured in the North and in Europe for the lads in blue. Our excellent reproduction is hand made and ready for use. A stout steel scabbard completes this legendary sword. It evokes the unflinching bravery of Antietam, Manassas, Gettysburg. The original replica of these civil war swords are manufactured by Atlanta Cutlery Corporation. An authentic replicas of the highest caliber.

Economical Photo Etched Trading Pins With A Better Look

Custom lapel pins can make a political statement, show support for a charitable cause or organization, indicate membership in fraternities, sororities and service organizations, or symbolize one’s religious faith. Lapel pins are available in multiple styles, with specific styles best suited for particular applications.
Photo etched trading pins are created for customers by transferring the image from a negative and imprinting it onto the custom lapel pin’s metal surface.These trading pins are printed pins where the image is first made on vinyl, affixed to a metal piece and then covered with acrylic.This particular type of lapel pin uses a CMYK four color process and is covered with an epoxy dome to protect the original artwork from damage.
These trading pins are great for intricate designs, with a high perceived value.Photo etched pins are made from a thinner metal, brass or iron, bronze, plate. Unlike previous methods, photo etching is a “chemical” process where the designs are transferred on a brass metal base.This process enables high detailed designs and significantly reduces the thickness of the material.
Another features of photo etched trading pins is that it provides a wealth of color options. All enamel colors are filled in by hand and one color at a time.Offers more creative freedom and flexibility. These photo lapel pins offer the advantages of enamel color with the affordability many budgets require than other enamel pins.

Etched pins have a similar look as soft enamel pins, but a cheaper price among enamel pins.

Trading pins come in a variety of shapes, styles, sizes, designs, materials and craftsmanship.  Despite having some similarities, each product has its own unique characteristics and purpose. Custom your etched pins with professional lapel pin company will save your times and cost down.

1/2 oz Krugerrand gold coin

The 1/2 oz Krugerrand gold coin is a viable alternative to an entire ounce for gold investors on a limited budget or those who would like to mount the coin in a bezel for jewelry use. Also known as a “fractional” Krugerrand (due to being less than one whole ounce of gold), it was first introduced in 1980, 10 years after the ounce Krugerrands were first mass-produced.
It weighs in at 16.965 grams, with 11/12ths its weight in gold (15.552 grams) and 1/12th its weight coming from copper, a metal blended with the color to provide the alloy with its characteristic dark-yellow hue recognized worldwide. Aesthetics aside, this purity makes them strong enough to resist denting and scratching, making them more practical than 24 carat coins which require protective packaging.
Although, like the one ounce Krugrerrand, the 1/2 oz Krugerrand gold coin is 22 karats, its width and thickness differ. The 1/2 oz Krugerrand measures at 27.07 mm in diameter and 2.215 mm in thickness.
Krugerrands are currently produced by Rand Refinery Ltd., the world’s largest gold refinery. They have recently doubled weekly production of blank gold coins due to global demand for the South African Gold Krugerrand rising to the highest level in 23 years. They are currently producing 20,000 ounces a week of blank gold coins. This drastic rise in demand is directly related to both fear in the global economic crisis and the threat of future U.S. dollar inflation.
The Rand Refinery has produced more than 46 million ounces of Krugerrand since it was first introduced in 1967. It is the first gold coin to contain exactly one ounce of gold. It was created to provide a vehicle for private gold ownership. A 1/2 oz Krugerrand gold coin can be bought and sold thousands of banks and coin dealers throughout the world. It truly holds up to its reputation of being the world’s best way to own gold.
To learn more about 1/2 oz Krugerrand gold coin, I recommend you checking out Krugerrand Coin. It is a specialized Gold Krugerrand for Sale site, offering a great selection of Krugerrand Gold Coins for sale. This website makes finding your dream South African Krugerrand gold coin a million times easier. Be sure to try this website before you buy.

3 Levels Of Coin Collectors – Tips To Identify Your Level

If you happen to be a coin collector, which category are you in? Let’s find this answer…
There are numerous ways in which coins can be collected and the specialties of collectors. Let’s see the ways in which the various types of coin collectors are differentiated.
1. The Commonest One: The Casual Coin Collector
You are a coin collector if you do the following things:
a.You collect coins and age does not matter to you.
b.You go on collecting the coins randomly and you have fun doing so.
c.You do not spend much money for either the purchase of the coins or to preserve it.
d.You will like to collect the coins that have gone obsolete, or they have been modified and are frequently used by the magicians. The other types of coin in your collection would include those that are out of circulation or those that are commemorative coins.
e. some coins may be given to you as gift and therefore it becomes a more interesting thing for you.
2. The Next Level: The Curious Collector
You can call yourself a curious collector if you have the following characteristics:
a.You are more inclined to collect the coins rather then receive them as gift from someone.
b.You are also not averse to buy the coins especially if that are not so expensive.
c.A casual collector is interested in only browsing the coin shops,but the curious collector is more interested than just browsing.
d. You also spend time on net at sites like eBay or the other coin sites and search for the coins to be purchased.
e.You don’t have a clear cut objectives for the coin collection. It just happens to be your hobby.
f. You have a tendency to gather knowledge about the coins and you soon graduate to the next level of serious coin collector as you might get inspired by the group of serious coin collectors.
3. The Extreme Collector: The Most Advanced Collectors
Following are the features of the advanced collectors and they exhibit the following properties:
a. You are fanatical about the hobby of coin collection.
b. You are either a generalist or the completist. A generalist wants to obtain a variety of coins no matter what type is of. On the other hand a completist is one who collects only a particular type of coins and builds the collection of that type only.
c. If you are completist and you are lacking resources then you will chose to have smaller number of coins of a particular type to complete your set,
d. The different types can be collection of coins belonging to a particular period or a particular nation. It can also be the set of coins having errors. or collection of tokens.
It doesn’t matter which category you belong to, its your personal choice. But the most important thing is the enjoyment and excitement it gives to you.
So, have you found your category yet?

Autograph Authentication

How can I authenticate my autograph to know if its real?

One of the first things autograph experts consider when determining whether an autograph is real or not is the pattern of the signature.  Does the formation of letters match known examples?  Are there any special identifying features of the signature such as a stylized paraph that may be associated with a particular persons autograph?

When comparing signatures with known examples it is important to consider dates.  Autographs vary over time.  Differences in signature construction are expected to vary from childhood to adulthood.  The autograph of actor James Dean changed remarkably during his transition from elementary school to movie star.  But even signatures during adulthood may vary.  For example, in the early 1920s, Babe Ruth usually placed quotation marks around the name “Babe” in his autograph.  As the name “Babe” became embedded in the public persona, and as the number of fans requesting his autograph skyrocketed, Ruth dropped the addition of quotation marks about his first name.

A similar example holds true for Thomas Edison.  In his early years Edison signed his first name with a simple “T”.  His signature evolved over time with a flourishing “T” that covered the top of his signature.  The so-called umbrella signature of Thomas Edison is recognized around the world.

The best places to quickly view and compare signatures are on websites that post auction results or websites with a large inventory of autographed items. Autograph collecting organizations often post popular autographs on their websites.  Websites such as www.Famous-Celebrity-Autographs.com have a large inventory of autographs that may be helpful when analyzing signature patterns.  If the signature pattern of the autograph under consideration is grossly different than known examples, its authenticity is dubious because it has not passed the first test of analysis.

On the other hand, it is important to remember that a similar or identical signature pattern to a known example of an autograph does not necessarily mean that your autograph is authentic.  Further scrutiny is needed to validate authenticity of an autograph.  After confirming similarity, be sure that your autograph is not a rubber stamp, imprint, or one made by a mechanical autopen.  Common sense will eliminate many fakes.  Many reputable autograph collecting organizations have resources available on the Internet that may be useful when analyzing your autograph.

Collecting autographs can be fun, exciting, and educational.  Knowledge of autograph authentication is useful for collectors.  With careful analysis based on tools that are readily available on the Internet, the novice collector is better able to determine the authenticity of his autograph.