British officer's gorget

Date1750-1760

MediumGilt brass with chamois-leather liner and silk ribbon.

Dimensions5 5/8" (h) x 4 7/8" (w) x 1 3/8" deep

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number2002-82

Description"U" shaped gorget with deep belly, of typical form for the period. Rolled edge enveloping iron wire with rudimentary floral embossing to corners, which are pierced for suspension (by ribbon). Central portion engraved with British Royal arms and "GR."

Original chamois leather liner present on reverse, but now detached from metal and held in place by ribbon. Illegible inked inscription to center portion which may read something like "?? Colin." or " ?? Colon."

Likely original, red silk ribbon now tied into a bow with each end tied to the corners of gorget and further sewn to liner (possibly to be displayed).
Label TextThis large specimen dates from the middle part of the 18th century, and represents an extremely fine example of the typical gorget worn by a British officer during the French & Indian War period and possibly the American Revolutionary era. While these gorgets are encountered from time to time, it is exceptionally fortunate that this specimen is in such fine condition with almost all of its gilding intact and with its original liner and ribbon intact. Furthermore, the quality of the engraving is higher than normally encountered on these non-regimentally designated gorgets.

See Stephen Wood's article "The British Gorget in North America," figs. V, VI & VIII. A similar, but later specimen, now in the Smithsonian, was worn by Lt. Col. Adam Stephen in the years preceeding the American Revolution. Stpehen's gorget is plated on p. 311 of Harold Peterson's "Arms & Armor in Colonial America."