I thought this might be more appropriate here in Café Society, since vintage clothing fashion might be considered an artistic discipline.
I have come to possess what appears to be a vintage military overcoat or “great coat”. It looks like this: http://www.paisleybabylon.com/0000873.htm (scroll down to the second picture for a better look at the color).
Like the picture mine is double breasted, but is longer – it hangs below my knees (and I’m 6’00” tall). Otherwise the pic is almost exactly the same as mine (same color, same cut, wide lapels, epaulets). It weighs probably 7-8 pounds (it’s very heavy!), is lined (cotton(?) down to the waist and fake silk(?) (rayon?) down the sleeves, the lining is not removable), and has the texture of a coarse wool blanket. It has two big pockets with flaps covering the openings (like the pic in the link). The material (obviously wool), could not be described as ‘soft’.
HOWEVER – the device (decoration?) on the face of all of the buttons (solid metal with eyehook in the back (not four holes through the face of the button), two rows down the front, smaller ones on each epaulet, smaller ones securing the slit in the back) is three crowns. Like the kind King Arthur might have worn (round with several ‘pointy’ things on top). The three are arranged in a triangle (two on top, one below), and are all the same size.
Inside the coat, on the lining up between where my shoulderblades are, the three crowns are stamped in what appears to be ink. Below these is stamped “1950”. They look like they were stamped by a die as part of the manufacturing process.
There is also a label inside the right front (down near the pocket) which says ‘Lyon Tailoring”.
Interestingly, there is also what appears to be someone’s (a soldier’s?) serial number handwritten in blue ink on the right pocket, something like “12-34-56789-0”. However, the coat is in almost perfect shape – there are no frays on the sleeve cuffs, for instance.
I’m pretty confident it is a military coat, and similar coats online are listed as “officer’s coats”. But… what country decorated it’s officer’s coats with buttons bearing three crowns?
Also, are reproductions frequently made? Could my coat really have been made in 1950? It’s in great shape, so either it’s a wonderful 50-year-old find or a more recent fake.
Thanks much.