1778 French Contractor Coat for Continental Army aka “Lottery Coat” Size 38

Chest size 38 1778 French Contract “Lottery” coat pattern made by Henry Cooke. Late in autumn of 1778, Washington’s Continental Army received a shipment of 10,000 suits of uniform, manufactured in France by military contractors under contract to the United States. These uniforms consisted of a pair of lead grey stockings, white wool breeches & waistcoat & a regimental coat whose cut & construction was based on English military coats & the French army Regelement of 1776. Half the coats were brown faced with red, while the other half were blue faced with red. All had white serge linings & unbleached linen sleeve linings & were finished with plain pewter buttons with turret shanks.

These contract coats were apportioned to the troops by having representatives of each state line draw lots to determine which states got which colors. This “lottery” gave the coats it’s more common “Lottery Coat” although the coats weren’t known as such during the war.