Until then, the Second Edition of Confederate, US and Other Civil War Used Spurs makes a great leap for mankind and takes the First Edition to an even higher level!  The Second Edition contains OVER TWICE the material as did the first. Because of the increase in the number of photographs and narrative discussion, the Second Edition had to be ENLARGED to 8.5 x 11 inches with two columns per page compared with the 5.5 x 8.5-inch, single-columned First Edition.  And, as with the First Edition, the book is replete with full color photographs of spurs, multiple examples of the same type spurs to show variations, and close-up details of their features.

The four chapters of the First Edition have now been expanded to five.  These are as follows:

Chapter 1 describes the basics of spur making, showing how spurs are cast, and addresses the various types of buckles and straps found on Civil-War era spurs are examined, which is an important, but often a neglected and overlooked part of spur collecting.  Remember, the straps found on any spur are the last to be put on them.  If a spur carries CW-era straps, the chances are low that CW-era straps were found and placed on an earlier spur, increasing the likelihood that that spur is of the CW era!

Chapter 2 looks at Confederate spurs and details how to distinguish them from post-war look-alikes by examining features such as rowels, strap plates, and file and sanding marks.  While retaining Crouch’s classification system, such as CS 1 for the Richmond Spur, CS 2 for the Brandy Station spur and so on, CS spurs are now organized into sections of Eastern Theatre, Western Theatre, and Unclassified, and the various features of CS spurs are used to achieve these classifications and to allow other, previously unknown, spurs to now be classified as Confederate.

Chapter 3 examines non-CS or non-US government issue private purchase and civilian spurs, the varieties of which are virtually endless.  These spurs were used by both Confederates and Federals alike.  Some are petite, but were unquestionable used by cavalry and some are large and heavy-duty and may well represent as-yet unidentified CS spurs.

Chapter 4 concentrates on US spurs, the core of which is based on the US Model 1859. There were a great many makers of US 1859-style spurs and several new varieties are identified and examined. Any collection of US spurs is not complete without these and the handful of known examples had already been auctioned away at the June Heritage action, and the rest wait for you at the December 2020 and February 2021 actions.  Other US-type spurs, such as Eagle Spurs, Dolphin Spurs, and more are also examined.

Chapter 5 ties up the study on spurs by examining Colonial and Mexican spurs. Colonial spurs were often called upon to return to duty in the Civil War when the cavalryman found a pair in grandpa’s trunk in the attic.  Mexican spurs are not an obvious Civil War spur, but a great many of these that were brought home from the Mexican War in the late 1840s were again called to service during the Civil War.

The Second Edition of Confederate, US and Other Civil War Used Spurs can be enjoyed as a coffee-table volume or used by serious collectors for identification of spurs in their collections or ones you are considering purchasing.  Simply avoiding buying a post-war CS lookalike at a period CS spur price will pay for your purchase several times over!