Fur identification - help needed

[Sacha]

Hi,
This fur coat was my great Aunts and I was under the impression it was Mink but, unfortunately she never spoke of it before passing. I have been told it is dyed musquash belly fur, I think it's mink but really not sure how to tell. I think it was made around the 40's but again not sure.

Can anybody help work out what it is and when it was likely to be made?

 

[furwise]

Hi there, Lovely piece of fashion history. I'd date it to the 50s. It is indeed musquash which is a coined name for muskrat, and it does look like it was dyed. You may be able to make out the inverted shapes within the fur. Each of those indentations is where a tail used to be. Muskrats are wide, but short, so as much of each pelt is used as possible. At the other end of each pelt there's a point which is where the muskrat's nose was.
Mink fur pelts are much more narrow, longer, and do not have the same appearance when crafted together. The length of the guard hair is also a bit longer than mink, and has a bit of a wispy appearance at the ends that particularly show along the edge of the collar in the closeup photo of it positioned up.

 

[Sacha]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me. I have had the coat since the 80's and always wondered what the fur was. My Aunt's farther had it made for her and it has her initials embroidered in the lining that is why I was under the impression it was made in the 40's. You have been very helpful.