Friday, September 8, 2017

From a trunk in Bayonne, New Jersey

United States Lines licensed officer cap badge, 1929-1931.
Woven in silk and bullion. On a wool backing.

In an old trunk in Bayonne, this cap badge was found. The finder was unsure what it was or why it was there.  It was among "junk"; that is: scraps of old clothes, balled up newspapers, and the like.

This is a second pattern and short-lived USL officer's cap badge. Another example is at the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian's dates for use are incorrect. Another pattern cap badge was used prior to this from 1921-1929, and it was of the USL house flag (red USL over a blue field).

A post illustrating all the cap badge changes of the United States Lines from its inception to the launch of the SS United States is in the works.