NOTES FOR COLLECTORS ~ WRITTEN BY CWDCA MEMBERS
How To Begin Collecting Civil War Artifacts?
Steve Sylvia
How to begin collecting Civil War artifacts? In my opinion, the answer to that is easy. Of the thousands of collectors I’ve spoken to over the years, it seems that most began their collections with the simple, benign-looking minie ball. There were more of these bullets produced than any other category of relic from the entire war---literally many millions of them were cast. This probably accounts for the fact that most collectors owned a minie ball before anything else. During the Centennial era, every gas station on Route 1 between Alexandria, Virginia, and Charleston, South Carolina, had near the cash register a jar of minies for 25 cents apiece.
I have put many minie balls in the hands of school kids during history presentations over the years and seen the spark of awareness on their faces as the weight and feel of that one ounce of lead made its impression. The minie’s weight, smooth surface, and interesting form capture people’s attention. Surprise is the most commonly encountered reaction. For some reason, the size and weight are unexpected.
I can’t tell you how many tourists have purchased them in my shop after being impressed by the weight of the humble minie. After they hold a dropped example, with its rocket shape and smooth surface, I then show them a grossly misshapen fired example. Its mangled grooves and rough texture usually produce a wince due to the realization of the devastation the piece could wreak on a human body. You can see the images explode in their imaginations like light bulbs going on in a dark room.
If you wish to get a novice’s attention or arouse one’s interest in collecting, show them those two examples—one dropped, beautifully symmetrical three-ring minie ball, then a fired counterpart. They will never think of the Civil War the same way again. With a few people, this will result in the birth of a new collector.
I still own my very first fired minie ball dug from an old oak tree in Manassas. It still impresses me.
Starting a Civil War Relic Collection
Greg R. Mueller
Collecting Civil War relics can be a fun and fascinating hobby. However, one must take care when first deciding to collect objects from this great time in our country’s history. There are many relics available from the Civil War period and there are a lot of decisions to make when deciding on what type of relics to collect. My first purchase was a six pound cannonball. Artillery can be a very exciting way to enter the Civil War collecting world. Holding an artillery shell that was fired in battle is a very inspiring thing. My first purchase led to a very large artillery collection consisting of cannonballs, smoothbore projectiles, mortar shells, and a large collection of shell fragments. Shell fragments are a great way to begin collecting artillery since they tend to be very reasonable in price, are still quite common and can be an exciting piece to own. Many contain the fuse cavity and the threading can still be seen where the fuse was once screwed into the shell. Every find is like a piece to a puzzle and can sometimes be linked to a particular battle. Every now and then I purchase a shell from a battle that can be traced to a particular unit. Most shells can be determined to be Union or Confederate and the location of recovery can even give clues as to who fired the shell.
As for buying any relic from the Civil War, one must take precautions when deciding to make that first purchase. Asking questions and getting as much information about the item that you wish to buy is extremely important. When I first started collecting, I looked for dealers with a strong background in Civil War artifacts and for those who could give me details on the relics in which I was interested. Some dealers live very near Civil War battlefields and have been legally recovering relics in those areas for years. If they did not recover the relic themselves, then most likely they can tell you who did. They can also usually tell you what part of the battlefield it came from and from which side, Union or Confederate. If a dealer does not offer an absolute guarantee of authenticity, then buying from a someone who does is much preferred. It is also recommended that you buy a good Civil War relic collecting guide. There are many available that will give you fair market prices and accurate descriptions. Don’t expect to jump head first into collecting Civil War relics and buy everything in sight. Start small and build a quality collection. Take the time and enjoy each relic as you go. As collector's we are the caretakers of the past, and by collecting Civil War relics you may just help to ensure that a very important era of American history is passed to future generations.
Why I Collect!
Mark Owen
One thing that you may want to consider when starting a Civil War collection is what is (or should be) the purpose of your collection? Are you collecting just a certain group of items like cavalry related items, handguns or bowie knives? Are you trying to collect every single variant of every type of bullet used in the great war? Is your collection going to be your retirement fund and you're trying to collect all high-end items that will appreciate in value over time? Or, are you collecting just for the sheer joy of the artifacts in your relic room and your love of their history?
For many years, I couldn't define my collection when asked. I have some of this and some of that. My personal collection seemed to have no real direction. Then, it dawned on me what my collection was all about. Every single item, unrelated as they may be, makes me smile when I look at them. That common Schenkl shell I dug with my son provided a really special moment in time that we shared together. That ID'd rifle? It belonged to a Virginia infantryman and I got it directly from his family, his descendants, and I now know his story, how he lived, what he loved, and where he fought for what he believed in. How about that Confederate bowie knife? Well, that one was my first "expensive" piece. One I saved up for for months and paid a little at a time until I could hang it on my wall and call it my own (at least for a while). How about that mason jar full of common 3 ringers? They were given to me many, many years ago by an old time relic hunter who is a now a legend. He took the time to teach me, a novice digger at the time, how to swing my detector and to understand what it was telling me. He cared enough about his hobby to teach another generation. Every piece in my collection has a personal story attached to it. Every piece has some special meaning to me. In the end, I think that's what a Civil War collection should be. Something that makes you smile when you see it.
Olin Shotwell (CWDCA Asst. Website Administrator)
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