USN Leather Transport Coat (WWII)

[PaidInFull24]

Hey all,

I was antique shopping again today and came across a very interesting coat. It very much intrigued me and I just wanted to post some pictures of it for discussion. It is way outside my price range, it's priced at $675. I was curious if any of you had seen one before? It looks to me like maybe a USAAF officer's trench coat. Brown, maybe horsehide? There are no tags that I could find inside. The collar appears to be mouton, and it is the coat itself is lined halfway up from the bottom with fur as well. It has a belt that comes with it. The zipper is a "Talon" zipper. It is listed as a "German Captured Coat" but appears to me to be American (for many reasons). Does anyone know what the value on a coat like this would be? What about a fair asking price? It is a VERY nice coat in very good condition. No holes at all. Missing some buttons, but it doesn't appear to have been double breasted, instead it has a zipper. any help would be great! Here are some pictures:



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[Dinerman]

It's a USN M-69D Transport coat. Goatskin with mouton collar and alpaca lining. I have two, both picked up off ebay for about $50 a piece.
They made a zipper version and a button version.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?9612-M-69-Transport-Coat&

 

[PaidInFull24]

Is it WW2 era?

 

[Dinerman]

Yes, WWII issue.

 

[PaidInFull24]

Cool! Thanks!
Did production of these types of coats continue into the post-war/korean war era and beyond? Or was their production such that if you buy one, you know you're getting one from WW2 or before? I would really like to get ahold of one of these, but have made the mistake before of taking something to be WW2 era and it actually turning out to be Korean war era. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[helenwlsn5]

I like its collar very much..Thanks for sharing the unidentified jacket.

 

[Dinerman]

 

[Philalethes]

Thanks, PaidinFull24, for bringing this coat to our attention - I had never heard of it before. (And, nice a coat as it is, good thing you did not pay the $650 for it!)

Is the color seal brown - i.e. the same as a G-1 - or is it a lighter shade?

Dinerman, which do you prefer, the zip or button version?

 

[Dinerman]

I'm pretty sure it's the same seal brown goat that was used on other USN jacket/flightsuit contracts. There are a bunch of these coats on ebay at the moment, if anyone here is looking for a warm, comfortable coat in a quality that you'd have to pay through the nose to replicate.

I like the looks of the zip version better- more futuristic. But I find the button version to be more practical for day to day use. The button one is my main winter coat for the cold and windy Nova Scotia winters. The collar setup on the zip version is a bit fiddly when it comes to having it done all the way up or having the collar popped and fastened shut. The button version's collar when buttoned to the neck lays nicely like a shirt collar would. The zip version splays out funny, as seen in the Korea-era color photo earlier in the thread. I also prefer the slash handwarmer pockets with pass-through slits to the flapped pockets with zipped pass through slits of the zipper version.

The button version has simplicity on its side. You get the feeling like with the zipper version they were trying to incorporate the zipper as a main design feature, and in the process fond themselves having to re-invent the wheel in order to make everything work. THat lead to some very cool, and nicely worked detailing, but in the end, not as utilitarian as the button variant.

 

[Edward]

I've seen great photos of Eddie Cochran wearing one of these. I've long fancied an elongated Barnstormer for Winter wear over a suit, but if I could track down one of these, I might find I don't need one. Lovely coats.

 

[PaidInFull24]

I have two, both picked up off ebay for about $50 a piece.
They made a zipper version and a button version.

I wish so much that I could find one of these online for just $50! Did any of you all participate in that auction the other day in bidding the one I wanted up? Just kidding. With patience, I hope to find one at a reasonable price someday. Thanks for all the input! You saved me roughly $675! haha