Garde mobile lieutenant's képi?

[Jmh]

Good afternoon everyone,

 

I would be grateful for your help in identifying this képi. It looks like the M1867 for Garde mobile officers, but it has some interesting quirks. The second captain's stripe ('galon') on the side seems to be non-regulation, since the rest of the képi bears the rank markers of a lieutenant. Did the officer invest in a second stripe in anticipation of his promotion, or might there be another reason? The shape of the 'Hungarian knot' atop the calot likewise appears unusual. All this makes me wonder whether the owner in fact belonged to the military units attached to the Chemins de fer, which also wore a red bandeau on the képi, if I'm not mistaken. Either way, the patina gives the item the look of a genuine nineteenth-century artefact (the photos don't do it justice) rather than a later reproduction.

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

Cheers,

 

Jmh