Insignia of the Revenue Marine Service

(From our May/June, 2001, issue)

The 1861 Revenue Marine Cutter Service, which later evolved into today's U.S. Coast Guard, officer’s uniform included a dark blue, double-breasted tail coat with eight buttons down each row. Captains had four buttons parallel to the bottom of each cuff, while lieutenants had three buttons. Captains wore two gold epaulets, while first lieutenants wore one on the right shoulder; second lieutenants, one on the left; and third lieutenants wore no epaulets. Engineers had a falling collar with a Treasury Department shield in gold on each side. Caps had a gold band.

The regulation deck officer's cap

In 1862 the service adopted a Navy-type frock coat with nine buttons down each row. Captains had two rows of gold lace around each cuff and two fouled anchors crossed on Navy-style shoulder straps. First lieutenants had one stripe and one anchor over a shield with two bars on their shoulder straps. Second lieutenants wore one bar on each strap. Third engineers had no bars on their straps. Chief engineers had a gold wheel under a fouled anchor on each strap and a single stripe of gold cuff lace. First assistant engineers had three buttons on each cuff and no anchor in the strap. Second assistant engineers had plain straps.

The chief engineer's shoulder strap.

The engineer's cap badge.

On August 20, 1864, the uniform was made more like the Navy’s with one half inch stripe of lace on each cuff for every grade (four for a captain to one for a third lieutenant) under a gold Treasury Department shield. Engineers all wore gold-embroidered wheels within a wreath for a cap badge. The gold cap band was eliminated.

The captain's sleeve stripes and Treasury Department shield.

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