Drummer's Coat of the 1st Regiment Foot Guards

Drummer's Coat of the First Regiment of Foot Guards, circa 1784

From “The British Empire” website:

“The coat is of red cloth with blue facings. The lace is white with blue fleur-de-lys designs, which has been used on Guards drummers' coats ever since. The lapels are decorated with pewter buttons and the same bastion loops that were on the coats of the rest of the regiment. The back view shows the pocket flaps and the turnbacks which are the same colour as the lining of the coat which should be white but is now a light brown.”

Observations:

•Lace is all broad lace (approximately 1” wide) instead of narrow (1/2” wide).

•5 sets of sleeve darts point down.

•Cuff has an inverted point with a single button .

•Shoulder wings have a downward peak in the middle. They are the color of the facings and have narrow plain lace set vertically and fringe lining the bottom of the wings.

•Vertical edges of skirts are laced on the inside and outside, horizontal edge is not laced.

•Lapels consist of 9 buttons rather than the usual 10.

•Pockets are edged with lace and have 3 buttons.

**Note: top photograph is from The British Empire website. The bottom photograph was provided by Andrew Watson Kirk.