Civil War dug brass coin purse

This is another great personal item being offered, it is a Civil War soldier’s coin purse. It is in two pieces and made of brass; it measures 4” x 2 ¾”. Originally the sides were probably made of leather which disintegrated over time. This unique piece was dug years ago by Harry Ridgeway in Frederick County, Virginia.

Frederick County played a significant part in the Civil War. The northern Shenandoah Valley supplied food, livestock, horses, and soldiers to the southern cause. The Valley was also important because of its strategic location in relation to Washington, D.C. The town of Winchester changed hands in the war about 70 times, an average of once every three weeks for four years.

Major local battles included the Fist Battle of Kernstown in arch of 1862, during which General Stonewall Jackson suffered his only tactical defeat during the Valley Campaign but did succeed in keeping Union troops in the Valley from leaving to reinforce McClellan on the peninsula In May of 1862, Jackson’s army defeated the Union troops at the Fist Battle of Winchester.

An identical example of this coin purse is in “Civil War Relics of the Western Campaigns”, by Charles Harris (see pictures). I also discuss these artifacts in my book "The Civil War Soldier - His Personal Items". Just about anybody involved with Civil War artifacts either know or heard of Harry Ridgeway. He is one of the pioneer relic hunters, accumulating thousands of artifacts. Much of his collection is now in a museum in Winchester, Virginia. This unique piece comes in the glass top display case pictured.