1778 French Contractor Coat for Continental Army aka “Lottery Coat” Size 40

$29.00

Chest size 40 1778 French Contract “Lottery” coat pattern made by Henry Cooke. Late in autumn of 1778, Washington’s Continental Army received a shipment of 10,000 suits of uniform, manufactured in France by military contractors under contract to the United States. These uniforms consisted of a pair of lead grey stockings, white wool breeches & waistcoat & a regimental coat whose cut & construction was based on English military coats & the French army Regelement of 1776. Half the coats were brown faced with red, while the other half were blue faced with red. All had white serge linings & unbleached linen sleeve linings & were finished with plain pewter buttons with turret shanks.

 

These contract coats were apportioned to the troops by having representatives of each state line draw lots to determine which states got which colors. This “lottery” gave the coats it’s more common “Lottery Coat” although the coats weren’t known as such during the war.

Out of stock

Description

A coat requires about 3 yards (12 quarters) of brown or blue wool, faced with  1 yard (4 quarters) of red wool. White serge lines the body & requires about 2 yards (8 quarters) but white flannel is an approximation of serge. The sleeves are lined with a yard of unbleached linen. A piece (1/4 yard) of linen buckram is required along the front. All yardages are only suggestions & are at your discretion.

Notions required include a skein of unbleached 16/2 for attaching buttons & unbleached 35/2 linen thread for coat construction. The facing buttonholes require 1 card madder red silk buttonhole twist & the sleeve & pocket flap buttonholes need brown silk buttonhole twist or blue silk buttonhole twist. Two large hooks & eyes are used at the front & 26, 23 mm plain flat turret back pewter buttons (1″ plain flat pewter buttons are our closest) with 4, 18 mm plain flat turret back pewter buttons (3/4″ plain flat pewter buttons) on the cuffs for a total of 8.

Additional information

Weight .25 lbs
Dimensions 12 × 9 × .25 in

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