200.00 USD
This is a extremely rare Pioneer Brigade brass badge consisting of a crossed hammer and hatchet signified membership in the Pioneer Brigade. This sturdy striated metallic insignia and could still easily be worn today. Two soldered pins on the back side are clearly visible and fully intact. The badge fits inside the edges of a business card and each individual tool is slightly more than 2" long.
The regimental colonels detached their very best, most talented men, in the expectation that they could use their pioneers as they saw fit. The Pioneer Brigade was one the specialized units separate from the infantry and cavalry that served with distinction. Pioneers were the Civil War version of a cross between the Green Berets and the Army Corps of Engineers. The rarity of Pioneer Brigade badges is due to the limited number of soldiers who were selected, as only the best and brightest were selected by the regimental colonels (pioneers received better food and received additional pay!). The crossed ax and hammer clearly indicate the Pioneer Brigade and the badge is fully guaranteed to be an original Civil War item badge.
In excellent condition!
length: 2 5/8" x 1 3/4"