ference is the legend "e pluribus unum"' carried on 

 the ribbon behind the knotted cord of the horn, an 

 element not present in the other. 



A third form, not illustrated, substitutes a floral 

 border for the plain border around the edge of the 

 shield and contains no stars as part of the design. 

 Still a fourth form, also not illustrated, has the same 

 center device of eagle and open horn placed in a 

 longer and narrower shield, with 23 6-pointed stars 

 between the borders. 



*l These various combinations of devices give a good 

 clue as to the method of manufacture of stock patterns, 

 and indicate the use of several different dies and hand 

 punches. The blank metal was first struck by a die 

 that formed the plain or floral border and cut the 

 outline of the plate. Next, a smaller die containing 

 the center device of eagle and horn was used. Then 

 the stars, and sometimes elements of the floral border, 

 were added by individual striking with a hand punch. 

 This latter method is clearly revealed by the com- 

 parison of several "identical" plates in which the 

 stars or elements of the border are irregularly and 

 differently spaced. 



CAP PLATE, RIFLEMAN PATTERN, C. 1825 



USNM 60398--M QS-K 154). Figure 118. 



This plate is called "rifleman pattern" because it 

 is silver-on-copper and is the only known example 

 of this type of insignia made for wear by infantry, 

 or possibly for Militia riflemen whose trimmings were, 

 incorrectly, silver. 



There are several conjectures about this cut-out 

 device made from a die of the preceding series of 

 shield plates. It may have been made after 1834, 

 when the open horn with cord and tassels was adopted 

 by the Regular infantry as a branch device. It is 

 equally possible that it was submitted to a Militia 

 infantry organization by some maker as a sample 

 during the 1820's and when selected was silvered to 

 conform with other trimmings. In either case, it 

 illustrates how a single die could serve to make many 

 different variations from a basic desim. 



CAP PLATE, RIFLEMEN, C. 1825 



USNM 60304-M (I-K 61B). Figure 119. 



The very unusual construction of this brass plate 

 for riflemen indicates that it is possibly one of the 

 earliest of the composite plates. Within a wreath 



FlIURE I I 



of crossed laurel boughs is a small center circle with 

 raised edge to which has been soldered the eagle 

 and horn device struck in convex form. 



Figure i i q 



62 



