Original Item: Only one available. An officer's Gorget was perhaps the last symbolic piece of "armor" worn by British officers to denote their authority. The introduction of firearms in the 16th and 17th centuries reduced knightly suits of armor as a viable defense. By the time the 18th century arrived, cavalry wore Cuirasses for upper body protection but the great weight needed to deflect musket balls became obsolete after the battle of Waterloo in 1815. Thereafter armor was strictly ceremonial.

This is a tremendous example of a Revolutionary War Era gorget almost certainly traded between colonists & Native Americans. Originally presented to Indian leaders as a sign of rank during the fur trade era, gorgets gradually lost their official status and became a standard trade item. Some were plain while others bore a royal animal or motif. This example has six brass tacks inserted to show off a pattern, but it is not done perfectly and its exact meaning is unknown.

The gorget measures 5⅞ x 4”. All six of the tacks retain their splint pins. This is a fantastic piece of Colonial trade history, ready for further research and display.

Early in the 18th century (1700s), officers still wore "Gorgets" to symbolize armor and rank. Intended to hang from the neck by a black silk cord, the gorget was displayed in the center of an officer's chest. When the Duke of Clarence became King William the Fourth in 1830 he did away with Gorgets, the last being used in 1831 with his kind permission.