US Early War Continental Contract Coat 1776-1778 Size 38

Chest size 38 early Revolutionary War continental contract coat pattern made by Henry Cooke. These are similar in design & construction to coats in use by other New England & New York units during the first 3 years of the war & may be representative of the type of uniform coats being made for the fledgling army. It is similar to its antecedent, the Massachusetts Bounty of 1775. To speed production & reduce the amount of cloth, the collars, cuffs & lapels were made of a single thickness & sewn directly to the body of the coat. Therefore the need for buttonholes was eliminated.