Here's an interesting eBay find- Thoughts?

[OC Richard]

I agree that it's probably for a civilian Drum Major or Highland Dancer.

But some regiments had their musicians in white wool doublets- not the members of the Pipes & Drums, but members of the Military Band, and/or Buglers. (White wool, not to be confused with the white cotton drill temperate doublets.)

Here are some members of the 78th Highlanders in 1867. Note the white doublet.



It's a tough call many times, because oftentimes the same tailor made doublets for the Army and for civilians, the firm of Thomas Gordon being a prime example. So you might have two absolutely identical doublets made by the same tailor, one military, one civilian. The only difference would be the buttons. Buttons can be replaced though, and I once had an antique mililtary Drummer's doublet (with full Crown lace) which had had half the original military buttons replaced with diamond civilian buttons.

To add to the potential confusion, military piper's doublets often have different buttons than the rest of the regiment, for example the regiment may have round brass buttons bearing the regimental crest but the pipers square silver buttons with some other design.

About badges of rank, it's common for mililtary doublets to have none, such being the doublets of privates.