Original Item: Only One Available. Everything about this image, including its presentation, makes it a splendid memento of the American Indian Wars of the 1870s and 1880s. This Indian Wars cased "Sixth Plate" (2.75 x 3.25 inch) tin type portrait depicts two Federal soldiers in an outdoor setting up against a fence. Both men appear to be wearing sack coats, M1872 Kepis, and trousers with attached suspenders. The man on the left wears a handkerchief around his neck, and the man on the right appears to have a pocket watch in his pocket.

The image is behind glass held in an ornate brass mat loaded with intricate designs edging the tintype. A gutta-percha case molded back with decorative designs completes the piece. It originally would have had another piece and it would close like a book, but the front piece is now gone.

There are no names on the reverse. A great example, ready for display.

Tintypes, originally known as or ferrotypes or melainotypes, were invented in the 1850s and continued to be produced into the 20th century. The photographic emulsion was applied directly to a thin sheet of iron coated with a dark lacquer or enamel, which produced a unique positive image. Like the ambrotype, tintypes were often hand-colored. Customers purchased cases, frames, or paper envelopes to protect and display their images.

Primarily used for portraiture, each photo is a unique camera-exposed image and was available in the following standard-sizes. The most common size was the sixth plate.
- Imperial or Mammoth Plate - Larger than 6.5 x 8.5 inches
- Whole Plate - 6.5 x 8.5 inches
- Half Plate - 4.25 x 5.5 inches
- Quarter Plate - 3.25 x 4.25 inches
- Sixth Plate - 2.75 x 3.25 inches
- Ninth Plate - 2 x 2.5 inches
- Sixteenth Plate - 1.5 x 1.75 inches