NAM.1983-09-75-1

Coatee, levee dress, officers’, 22nd Regiment of (Light) Dragoons, worn by Lt Col Robert Travers, 1794-1819; associated with Napoleonic Wars. Made to the 1812 pattern, blue wool cloth with white facings. Collar upright, approx 2 1/2 inches at front fastened with two gilt metal hooks and eyes. Cuff, pointed, 4 1/8 inches in height. Cuff vent fastened with two small gilt metal regimental buttons, 5/8 inch in diameter with corresponding buttonholes. Back plain. Tail turnbacks of white cloth. Each tail bears a false horizontal pocket flap with three points at lower edge. Below the pocket flap are three gilt metal regimental buttons 3/4 inch in diameter to correspond with the points. Each tail bears a false a pleat at the top of which at waist, is a gilt metal regimental button 3/4 inch diameter. On each shoulder are four worked loops for attaching epaulettes (now absent). Front, double breasted. Each front folds back to form a plastron-shaped lapel faced with white cloth. Each lapel bears nine buttonholes for attaching to the nine gilt metal buttons, each 3/4 inch in diameter and each bearing: within a scalloped border, a laurel wreath within which are the Roman numeral: XXII, the letter: L above the letter: D below. Gilt metal hook fastening down centre front. On left lapel, a piece of medal ribbon 1 3/4 inches wide, crimson with blue worm down each edge. The ribbon bears a gold four pronged buckle. Below the ribbon is a small welt pocket edged with white silk. (The medal ribbon is the width used for the Army gold medals and crosses. The pocket would be big enough for the small medal. The pocket opening measures 1.3 inches in diameter. The ribbon is too wide for the Waterloo Medal and the pocket would not be big enough, the diameter of the Waterloo Medal being 1.4 inches). Bodice and vertical pocket is let into each coat lining. The plastron fronted coatee was ordered to be worn, although by 1813 some regiments of light dragoons were still wearing the short frogged jacket. This item has long tails whereas the light dragoon coatee had very short tails and a waterfall at centre back waist. This coatee is therefore probably a Levee dress coatee. The facings appear to have finally changed from pink to white in November 1815.

Napoleonic Wars, Waterloo (1815)