behind AotW

Private William Morris Lucke of Company F, 106th Pennsylvania Infantry survived an arm wound at Antietam in September 1862, was in action at Gettysburg in July 1863, and served to his regiment’s muster-out in September 1864.

This stunning item is his trefoil-shaped 2nd Army Corps badge – note the 106 in the middle and his name and Company engravings. It’s described as a “service pin” and is probably a post-war memory piece, but Lucke could have had it made by a Philadelphia jeweler during the war. Thanks to Larry Pardoe who contributed the pin to the Sullivan County genealogy page.

Corps badges were first prescribed for soldiers of the Army of the Potomac in March 1863 and were initially to be fabric patches worn on the uniform cap. Later, metal badges were worn on the coat, most commonly by officers. Below is a period piece showing the badge designs as of 1865. A copy of this was sold by Heritage Auctions in December 2014.