I'm pretty sure that it is not a Civil War period drum. The give-away would be the handy snare adjustment that is accessible near the top rim. Additionally the scroll work on the counter hoops would be an extravagance for the era. Another clue may be the fact that the ears (pull downs for the rope tension look like metal, with what seems to be bits of left over leather to complete the ear "look". Drums of the period only had Leather ears. I have seen a similar drum of this type in a 1922 Ludwig catalog. It is probably Maple not Oak as well. I recall reading somewhere that Ash was the shell material of choice during the Great Conflict. $900 is way high. I would imagine this drum is this side of 1910.

I agree with the above. That is not a Civil War era drum at all, and antique dealers have a tendency to guess on value of things of which they know nothing. Also, antique dealers are very often the biggest space cadets imaginable, societal misfits who like old stuff and go into the antique business because they can't do anything else. Believe me, I have been haunting antique shops since I was a kid, and can honestly say that maybe 90% of all the antique dealers I've ever met have been crackpots, losers, or flakes. Or worse, bored housewives whose husbands are bank rolling them.

A real Civil War drum is going to cost you thousands of dollars, four and five figures, and it must have ironclad provenance to fetch those dollars. Go to Horse Soldier's website in Gettysburg, PA. They'll most likely have a CW drum or two up there. They're reputable, but you'll pay a premium for most of what they sell, because they're in Gettysburg, a tourist trap in so many ways. I've been going to Gettysburg since 1991 and have dealt with Horse Soldier for all that time, as I have a collection of CW relics.

I'd challenge that antique dealer first though and ask him/her about provenance for that drum, the back story. I guarantee, they will have no clue, and might even make something up on the spot. Then, walk away quickly.

This may be a "lodge drum"?

WF Ludwig 2 told me "Civil War drums have no metal parts".

Beautiful marcher nevertheless!!

Cheers

It looks to be a 20's era model, judging from the Throwoff. 'Contract' drums, which was what the Union Army drums are referred to (from the contract placed to make them) were 16" or 17" by 12". Which was shallow for the time, as drums of the revolution were often deeper than they were wide i.e 17" wide x 20" deep was a common size. The snares look like linen which would put it into more of a student model class as well...

Last night on Antiques Roadshow (PBS) a man brought in a military snare drum that has been passed down in his family for at least five generations. The man has photographs of his great great grandfather playing the drum as an old man. This great great grandfather had attached documentation to the drum showing that he played it as a Union Army drummer boy at major Civil War battles. The middle aged man, who brought the drum to Antiques Roadshow also had photos of his great grandfather, his grandfather, his father, and himself playing the same drum. He said that the drum will pass down to his own son and grandson. The appraisers felt certain that the drum is period correct in every way. Because of the photos, letters, and other forms of provenance, they estimate the drum to be authentic with an estimated value of $15,000. Here's a clip from last night's show. https://qa.pbs.org/video/battle-shiloh-civil-war-drum-svja5u/