Material: Gilt brass
Size: 20mm (width) × 12mm (height)
Description: This is a standard U.S. Army officer's Coast Artillery Corps collar insignia featuring a pair of traditional crossed field cannons overlaid with an upright, oval artillery projectile shell at the intersection. The die-struck brass insignia represents a compact, stylized layout meant to fit precisely onto the lapels of military dress coats and service uniforms. The face displays a rich, uniform golden-amber patina with fine horizontal texture lines running across the surface of the central projectile. The reverse side features a completely smooth, unmarked surface equipped with a small vertical post back designed for a tension-locking clutch attachment.
Circa: Early to mid 20th Century
Notes:
Issued to personnel of the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps, responsible for harbor and coastal defense before the branch merged into the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery after WWII. The crossed cannon motif represents artillery units dating back to the mid-19th century; the smaller format and screw-back fastener identify this as an earlier piece.