A pair of militia officer's jackets from Vermont and Massachusetts. The first jacket is a swallow-tailed, dress coat made of Navy blue wool. The tails of the coat have white piping and turn-backs. The coat has three rows of nine, gold-plated, brass buttons on the front and two more brass buttons on the back above the tails. The buttons are embossed with a what appear to be the letters "ILI" surrounded by a wreath with a small five-pointed star at the center. The one-inch high standing collar is decorated with six, bullion ivy leaves. Eleven bullion ivy leaves are embroidered on the cuff of each sleeve and twelve leaves are embroidered on each coat tail. The coat shoulders have loops and metal fittings for epaulets or shoulder scales. The body of the coat is lined with white, padded cotton and the tails are lined with black cotton padding. The maker's name: "PETTIBONE MFG. CO/CINCINATTI, O." is embroidered on a loop in the collar. A consigner notes states that the jacket is a Massachusetts Light Infantry officer's uniform. The jacket appears to date from the 1850s. The second jacket is a U.S. Army regulation Pattern 1895 Officer's Undress Coat. The blue serge coat has a one-inch high standing collar and is trimmed with 1 1/4-inch flat, black, mohair braid. The coat has a black silk lining. The coat shoulders are fitted with gold bullion trimmed Infantry 2nd Lieutenant's shoulder boards. The collar has gold-plated brass Infantry Officer's crossed rifle insignia with a "1" above the rifles indicating "1st Regiment" or "1st Battalion". The collar also has a single, brass "VT" insignia that identifies the officer as a member of the Vermont National Guard. The light blue branch color on the officer's shoulder boards indicates that the uniform probably dates from the post-Spanish American War period when the infantry branch color changed from white to light blue.

Very fine. The swallow-tailed dress coat has some loose stitching on some of the seams on the tail but other wise shows little wear. All of the buttons are present. The gold-bullion ivy leaves are tarnished but in very good overall condition. The jacket does not appear to have any insect damage and the padded lining is in excellent condition. The 1895 Undress Coat is also in very fine condition with no fading, insect damage or significant wear. The coat is missing one "VT" insignia but appears to have no other damage. This is a very fine group of two militia officer's jackets