Artillery staff officer's cocked hat with plume : Victorian Colonial Military Forces

Victorian Colonial Forces black beaver cocked hat with silver bullion tassels, with underlying dark blue eyes, set at each end of the hat. The left side of the hat is slightly higher than, and overlaps, the right side, both of which are bound with black silk. There are two bands of black silk oak leaf pattern lace at each end of the right side of the hat. Between them, to the rear of the hat is a black silk grosgrain cockade with a diagonally placed double rown of silver bullion artillery pattern lace superimposed over it, secured by a single silver, Victorian crown, artillery pattern button. A white swan's feather plume, with underlying red feathers, is set into a silver holder that screws into the crown of the hat. The hat has a leather seatband. The crown is lined with crimson silk and the head size can be adjusted by a narrow silk cord. The manufacturer's details are stamped in gold inside the crown 'BY APPOINTMENT/ HOBSON & SONS/ MILITARY TAILORS & OUTFITTERS/ 94, ST. MARTIN'S LANE/ CHARING CROSS/ MANUFACTORY/ 43 & 44, ARTILLERY PLACE/ WOOLWICH.' There is the remains of an elastic chinstrap attached to each side of the hat.

This hat was worn, c 1875, by a Volunteer Artillery staff officer serving with the Victorian Colonial Military Forces.