Civil War Confederate Army Used 1853 Cavalry Artillery Bit - In Fine Condition

Description

CONFEDERACY
.  Cavalry artillery bit made by the French in 1853 and imported and used by the Army of the Confederate States during the American Civil War.  The artillery bit is complete with both brass rosettes, support bar, and curb chain; rosettes each contain the crossed cannon and bursting bomb pattern; measures 12” by 6.5” by 3.5”; and in fine condition with minor rust accumulation on the surface.  Three similar artillery bits recently sold for 8 in November 2011, 3 in May 2012, and 1 in May 2012 at Cowan’s Auctions.
1853 CAVALRY ARTILLERY BIT USED BY THE ARMY OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES DURING THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
Ken Knopp, a Civil War historian who authored “Confederate Saddles & Horse Equipment”, references these artillery bits in his article published in the
North South Trader
magazine (Christmas 1997, Issue 6, Volume XXIV): “The 1853 French artillery bit.
A small number of these almost certainly came to the South through the Blockade with French artillery harness purchased by Caleb Use.
Others likely filtered into the US following the French effort by Napoleon III to install Maximilian as the monarch of Mexico.”.