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How to Identify Civil War Uniform Gold Cufflinks

Identifying authentic gold cufflinks from the Civil War is not difficult, but it can be time consuming. Gold cufflinks from the Civil War are rare items of interest. They were worn by high ranking officers and only at special occasions such as ceremonies and dinner parties. Soldiers seldom wore cufflinks; however, infantry buttons often had the same decorations as the cufflinks worn by superiors.

Things You'll Need

Magnifying glass

Instructions

Identifying Civil War Era Cufflinks
- 1
  Turn the specimen over to examine the fastening device located behind the decorative face. Examine the cufflink in a well-lit area. If there is a small loop of metal attached to the back and nothing else, you have a button. If there is an elongated wire hoop with a metal pin attached at its end, you have a cufflink.
- 2
  Turn the cufflink to examine the front. Determine if the coloring is gold, silver, bronze or copper. Gold cufflinks were either made of pure gold or metal with gold plating.
- 3
  Determine whether the cufflink is stamped with a design and doesn't have decorative jewels, ivory or pearls. If so, it was most likely made in the United States in the early 19th century.
- 4
  Look at the whole cufflink under the magnifying glass. If there is noticeable oxidation damage or if the design has been worn down (if the words are difficult to read), the cufflink is most likely an original. Pure gold cufflinks won't oxidize, but they will have marks due to damage from wear and tear. Cufflinks that look pristine may be replicas.
Distinguishing Between Confederate and Union Cufflinks
- 5
  Examine the stamped decoration on the front, using the magnifying glass. If the initials CSA, or any of the individual letters--C, S, A or I--are engraved on the cufflink, it most likely belonged to a Confederate official. Confederate cufflinks were also adorned with eagles in the profile position, a ship's anchor or any of the Southern states' symbols.
- 6
  Flip the cufflink over to the back. Look for the words "Extra Superior." Many Confederate cufflinks were engraved with these words.
- 7
  Examine the front again if the cufflink doesn't have any of the markings just described. Look for an eagle holding arrows and an olive branch. A flag with four vertical bars in the bottom right corner will be in its center and 13 stars will surround the edge. The word "Excelsior" may also be engraved below the eagle. This design was worn by many Union officials.
- 8
  Take the cufflink to an expert for verification, if you believe you have identified an original gold cufflink from a Civil War uniform.

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