|
MODEL 1833 ARTILLERY STIRRUPS – EXCELLENT MATCHED
PAIR OF VERY RARE EARLY STIRRUPS: A very rare
pair of original Model 1833 Artillery Stirrups, rare to
the point that even the most experienced military horse
equipment collectors have never seen one, much less a
pair. Produced during the antebellum era when the
artillery branch was comparatively small, and those few
that were in inventory in 1861 having been subjected to
the rigors of the four years of the Civil War, the odds
were stacked against this pair surviving intact and
together.
When the cast brass Model 1833 Stirrup was introduced,
it was produced in two separate patterns – one pattern
with a 1.35” wide stirrup strap loop for the Dragoons,
and a second pattern with a 1½” wide stirrup strap for
the artillery – the width of the strap loop on the pair
of stirrups offered here. The width of the stirrup
strap loop has been the one feature that differentiated
the two patterns. The Model 1833 Artillery Stirrup
remained in service unchanged until the army adopted the
Model 1863 Artillery Stirrup mid-war – for all intent
and purposes the same style of stirrup save for the
stirrup strap loop being reduced to a 1.35” width on the
new stirrup.
This was THE US Army Artillery Stirrup from the
mid-1830’s, through the Mexican War, and through the
first two years of the Civil War. While intended for
issue with the Artillery Driver’s Saddles, these brass
stirrups were favored by officers from all branches of
the army, and would certainly have been used by officers
on both sides of the conflict on their private purchase
saddles during the Civil War.
This is definitely a matched pair, having the identical
shape and same degree of patina. They show very little
wear, having survived in excellent condition with no
damage or defects, and they have acquired a deep
natural, very attractive patina. The tread still has
the “v” shaped chisel cuts that afforded the
Artilleryman traction on the stirrups. The stirrups
stand 5 ¾” tall, are 4 ¾” wide, and the treads are 1 ½”
deep.
As a pair, this is a very nice
offering from an old collection, and these are prime
specimens with the arsenal identification. Priced below
what many dug specimens of this stirrup sell for on
today’s market. (0112) $575
|
