Friday 5 June 2009

Trooper of Württemberg Roeder Dragoons 1760

Württemberg Roeder (or Röder) Dragoons first raised 1758 as the Dragonerregiment von Degenfeld. Inhabers: 1758 Colonel Christoph August Count von Degenfeld; 1759 Major-General August Gottlieb Reinhard von Röder; 1762 Major-General Wolfgang Heinrich von Rothkirch. Von Degenfeld also commanded the regiment from 1758-9. Composition: 4 squadrons.

2 squadrons served in Saxony in 1760.

I've chosen to depict the regiment in 1760 when it was the Roeder (or Röder) Dragoons as we have a good contemporary illustration of the regiment by Johann Christian Becher (
Stiftung Weimarer Klassik)
(the New York Public Library website has a much larger and clearer version of this than the one on the Kronoskaf site (which is under "Degenfeld Dragoons")). This does not, as far as I can see, show a black collar (see, by contrast, Pengel and Hurt, and Kronoskaf) but probably a white one, if it shows a collar at all (the image is unclear). The buttons are also curious as those on the coat look as if they are tin, contrasting with brass buttons on the waistcoat. Without seeing the original or a very good reproduction this is speculative. Consequently I've shown them all as brass. The lace on the hat may be gold but I suspect is more likely to have been yellow. It is clear from the Becher illustration that there were at least 8 buttons on the lapels and possibly more.

2 comments:

  1. David
    Many many thanks for the scans which Jeff forwarded to me . I have yet to read them in detail but they look great- just what I wanted!
    best wishes
    Alan
    p.s
    Do you know if any modern manufacturers make copies today of these early figures?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Alan,

    I'm glad they look useful. :-)

    I imagine these people will probably know of any modern reproductions: http://www.zinnfigur.com/ ? Worth trying them, I think.

    All the best,

    David.

    ReplyDelete

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