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| Nice Die Stamped Confederate Virginia State Seal Waist Belt Plate - Recovered Chancellorsville, VA., in the 1950s. |
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Here is a Nicely Detailed Stamped Brass Virginia State Seal Waist Belt Plate ! It’s the pattern believed to have been manufactured by James S. Smith & Sons/New York in 1860-1861. There is a non-dug example in Mullinax’s book, Confederate Belt Buckles & Plates, on page 233, plate number 431, that is so marked on the tongue, though Mullinax notes that some have unmarked tongues. Mullinax also noted, “New York’s Journal of Commerce reported the seizure of Virginia belt plates and dies from Smith’s Manufactory shortly after the start of hostilities in 1861.” Though there have been some very dangerous reproductions and outright fakes made of these plates, there are ways to tell them from the originals. Most if not all of the impositions are thin cast, not stamped, and a tiny bit thicker than the die stamped originals. Most are also just a few millimeters smaller. This one was part of a small collection of belt plates I bought at auction recently, all of which were early [1950s] recoveries. There were two US sword belt plates, a beautiful Baby Forked Tongue buckle, and a rectangular shoulder belt plate, most marked on the reverse with Location/date. There was a real nice looking CS “Sardine Can” pattern buckle in the same auction, also marked, but I did not win that lot. This Virginia Plate has a wonderful smooth brown/green patina highlighting the details of the device nicely. Reverse shows same patina with a little more ground action and some dirt still in the low areas. Visible from both sides is damage to both upper and lower left corners, consistent with heat or melt damage. Tongue and belt bar are missing from reverse as is common with these plates. I wondered about the “melted” corners since the entire plate doesn’t have the look you often see in “fire pit” recovered plates. Finally, it occurred to me that a soldier may have been trying to re-attach the belt bar himself, maybe even in the field, got too much heat and eventually gave up, discarding the plate. It might also have been laying on the field, and fire burned up to it but not completely over it. No way of really knowing I guess. Also visible on reverse in old blue ink or felt tip pen is, “ Chan “ and “1955”. One of the eagle plates I got in the same lot was marked, “Chan.Vil 1957”, and I’m confident that Chancellorsville is where this one was recovered. Nearly all the plates in the auction lot were from the Chancellorsville, and Orange County, Virginia, area. The plate measures 51mm x 70mm, as it should, and comes with a written lifetime guarantee of authenticity. Not perfect by any means but priced accordingly. Despite the slight damage to the left corners, this is a Fine Virginia State Plate, that Still Displays Beautifully ! Recovered Chancellorsville, Virginia.
$1750 plus shipping
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| Beautiful Excavated Two Piece Confederate CS Tongue & Wreath Waist Belt Plate |
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Here is a Beautiful Two-Piece Confederate CS Waist Belt Plate ! It is a “Virginia Pattern” and shows a wonderful light green patina on both tongue & wreath that match so closely, it is quite possible both pieces were recovered together. The letters CS stand out superbly and there is only very minor ground action in a few places. The fit of the two pieces is also excellent. At some point the belt loop on the wreath was stressed or twisted, and you can see in the pictures how on one side of the bar the loop has a tight crack you can see all the way around. It may have been repaired by the digger, but I don’t see any sign of that, and I think if it had been done by a professional the crack wouldn’t be visible. The plate measures approximately 51mm x 83mm, [48mm tongue] with a wreath height of approximately 49mm, and is very similar to plate 004 in Steve Mullinax’ book, Confederate Belt Buckles & Plates. Not positive where this plate was recovered, but it may have been in the Hendersonville/Flat Rock, North Carolina area, as it originated out of an auction there that had a lot of dug Union and Confederate relics. I have a solid cast Confederate Infantry button from the same area with the same patina, to list later. As with all Confederate buckles & plates we sell it comes with a written guarantee. Just a Gorgeous Confederate CS Waist Belt Plate !
$2450 plus shipping
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| Beautiful Excavated Confederate Sheet Brass Buckle |
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| Here's a real nice example of the Confederate Sheet Brass Waist
Belt Plate, OR, the M1833 Dragoon Sword Belt Plate !? Yep, it
may be an early US plate ! It's got a beautiful smooth green patina,
with one corner bent over, but still displays great. The reverse shows
a lot of solder remnants, and quite a bit of iron rusting, where the iron
wire belt hooks were once soldered. Reverse also shows the same
nice dark patina. It's a larger example measuring 82mm wide by
55mm tall. I've just recently been told by John Thillman, who would
certainly know, that this plate is actually for the M1833 Dragoon
Saber Belt ! [ John wrote a couple of the definititive Saber/Sword
books] Wow, John said that many of the southern states had
ordered the M1833 Dragoon Sabers and accoutrement belts, which
included this buckle, and as a result, many of the rigs, [ and plates ]
resided in the southern state arsenals at the beginning of the war,
which were nearly all taken over by southern state governments,
and many later transferred to the regular Confederate Authorites.
Sounds to me like typical Trans-Mississippi, and who knows
perhaps other theaters too ! Anyway, that would explain why
so many are recovered in Confederate Campsites.
Recovery location unknown. { PS. Thanks a bunch John
for the information !}
$195 plus shipping
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| Fine Unrepaired Large US Cavalry Soldered Filled Martingale Heart Plate |
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Here is a Beautiful Dug Large Heart Shape Cavalry Martingale Plate ! It's the pattern that measures about 2.625 inches tall, by 2.5 inches across. The front has a wonderful mostly smooth green patina with a few creases and dents, but nothing major. Reverse shows about half of the original lead solder fill still remaining along with rusty remnants of the iron attachment hooks, and someone's old collection number of #39 in black marker. The Best Thing about this Plate is that is has No breaks, No Major Damage, and No Repairs ! The last few years I have seen a few of this size dug martingales, but a good portion of them had been broken and repaired. Not the case here ! Just a First Rate, Uncommon Military Size Heart Shaped Martingale Plate ! Recovered Seven Days Battlefield near Richmond, Virginia.
$425 plus shipping
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| Super Nice Excavated US Waist Belt Plate |
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Here is an Absolutely Beautiful Dug US Waist Belt Plate ! It’s got a wonderful smooth chocolate brown patina, on the front with just a few touches of ground action around the outer edges, but otherwise no damage whatsoever. Reverse shows all attachment hooks intact, and 99.9% of the lead solder fill still intact, in mostly smooth condition, with just a little ground action around the end near the tongue. One of the arrow hooks has a corner clipped off, or maybe a manufacturing flaw, and issued that way. I just can’t tell you in words how stunning this buckle is in person. Just a gem! I noticed this plate was a bit small as soon as I picked it up. Last couple of pictures show it with a larger size US box plate, and you can easily see a difference. The plate is noticeable smaller than the dozen or so I have here, and I first thought it to be a "medium" size, but have been informed it is not. It measures approximately 53mm top to bottom, by 83mm wide. The large US pictured with it in the last two pictures measures right at 57mm top to bottom, and 88mm wide. The difference is discernible to the naked eye, but just a variant I guess. A Beautiful US Waist Belt Plate Though, nearly impossible to upgrade !
$295 plus shipping
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| Helena NCO Eagle Plate |
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| Here's a Very Nice Displaying 3-Hook NCO Eagle Plate !
The front or face has a nice smooth patina, with good details, and
two small areas where the iron loops on reverse, rusted thru. Plate
is nice and flat though, with almost no edge damage. Reverse shows
98-99% lead solder fill remaining in smooth condition. Iron hooks
are mostly gone, with about half of one remaining, and stubs where
the other two were. Traces of iron running thru the lead solder
leave no doubt that this was manufactured as a 3-hook NCO
plate. A Non-Commissioned Officer's Eagle Plate With a Nice
Look ! Recovered Helena, Arkansas.
$225 plus shipping
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| Fine Excavated M1851 Eagle Sword Belt Plate |
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Here is a beautiful, excavated example of the typical Civil War,
Sword Belt Plate. Remnants of the German silver wreath remain,
plate has good details on the face, and a very pretty green and
plumb patina. Standard Civil War period narrow tongue still intact
on the back, and retains the original body curve. Just a very nice
excavated sword plate that would be hard to upgrade, and will
display perfectly ! Recovered at a Massachusetts house site.
$225 plus shipping
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| Nicely Gilted Dug Civil War Period Officers Sword Belt Plate |
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Here is a Nicely Gilted Civil War Officer’s Sword Belt
Plate ! It’s a mid to late war pattern with integral cast
wreath retaining a generous portion of it’s original gold gilt
on the plate and device itself, along with small areas of the
original silver plate on the wreath. Reverse shows applied
tongue intact, though belt bar is broken. The device is finely
detailed and plate is very similar to Plate 646 in O’Donnell
& Campbells book, American Military Belt Plates, except
that 646 in the book is entirely silver plated. That plate is
one of just a few in the book with six-point stars like this
example, instead of five-point. The authors note that it is
“possibly Marine Corps, ca. 1865-1875.” The Marine Corps
adopted the same 1851 pattern plate as the army, gilt with
silver hightlites, until after the war, when the entire device
was silver plated, like the example in the book. This one
though is gold gilted with silver wreath, suggesting war
date production. A Nicely Gilted Dug Officers Sword
Belt Plate, possibly worn by a Marine Corp Officer !
$195 plus shipping
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| Beautiful Excavated US Eagle Breast Plate |
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Here is a Beautiful Excavated Eagle Breastplate ! It’s got a wonderfully smooth brown patina on the front with no damage of any sort. Reverse shows 95%+ of the lead solder fill still nicely intact, with a couple of small gouges, mostly near the edge. Both iron loops are intact and tight, and look very well preserved. As dug Eagle Breastplates go, this one is really “Top Drawer,” and displays even better than it looks in my pictures. Recovery location unknown.
$175 plus shipping
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| Nice Dug Rectangular Shoulder Belt Plate |
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Here is a Fine Dug Condition Early Shoulder Belt Plate !
It’s a clipped corner plate that originally had the single long
pin on reverse for attachment. Two holes in center likely
for a Company letter or other identifying device, that is long
gone. Reverse shows points where attachment pin once was,
and same brown patina, with copper highlights as the front.
Plate still retains some if not all of its body curve. The line
running diagonally across the front is not a crack or bend,
but rather a surface blemish or flaw in the manufacturing
process. These plates can date from the 1840s, thru the
1870s. Although recovery location of this one is unknown,
it is from the same collection as the Chancellorsville area
plates. A Nice Displaying Shoulder Belt Plate !
$120 plus shipping
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| Nice 1808 Pattern Shoulder Belt Plate Recovered Near Frayser's Farm, Virginia. |
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| Here is a Nice Excavated 1808 Pattern Enlisted Man's
Shoulder Belt Plate ! It's got a nice brown/plumb patina with
a few areas of green verdigris. One small split on the left side
about 10mm long. Reverse shows cast in tongue and studs present
in good shape, but caps peened onto the studs are gone. Measures
approximately 53mm X 78mm. There is a similiar example in
Michael J. O'Donnell & J. Duncan Campbell's book, American
Military Belt Plates, Page 58, Plate 78. They say this smaller
example dates 1820-1833, and was issued after the bayonet
belt was reduced in size. Also mention that the example in the
book was excavated in Mississippi, and these are often found
in Civil War sites. Some folks think they were probably lost
by Confederate Troops using whatever they could get. This
plate was recovered near Frayser's Farm, Virginia.
A Much Less Common Plate !
$120 plus shipping
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| Fine Displaying Confederate Leech & Rigdon CS Tongue to 2 Piece Waist Belt Plate |
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Here is a Nice Excavated Tongue for a Two Piece Confederate Waist Belt Plate ! This is the pattern thought to have been manufactured by the firm of Leech & Rigdon, also known as the Memphis Novelty Works. It’s the one where the –S- in CS almost resembles a figure 8. It shows a lack of finishing where the inside of the belt loop was not cut square. It also shows moderate ground action on a mostly brown patina with some areas of green. The belt loop measures approximately 50mm tall and the diameter of the tongue disc is approximately 27mm diameter. It is the thick coin pattern disc without a flat edge or border. Similar to plate 032 & 033 in Steve Mullinax’ book, Confederate Belt Buckles & Plates. Though usually found in the Western & Trans-Mississippi theaters, the recovery location of this one is unknown. As with all Confederate buckles & plates we sell it comes with a written guarantee. A Fine Displaying Leech & Rigdon CS Tongue !
$875 plus shipping LAYAWAY
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| Very Nice US Boxplate w/Both Iron Loops Intact - Fredericksburg, Virginia |
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| Here's a Really Sharp Looking US Boxplate w/Both Loops !
The front has a wonderful smooth dark green patina, with no breaks
and almost no edge nicks. The Letters display great. Reverse shows
90% of the lead solder fill remaining, with one area lower right side,
where it is cut. Think it was probably cut intentionally by a soldier
as there are small vertical knife marks around the upper edge of the
lead solder too. Both iron loops are still intact and bent down on
the plate, with the remainder of the lead solder being fairly smooth.
Just a Sharp looking US Boxplate, with both loops, that looks
great ! Recovered Fredericksburg, Virginia.
SOLD
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| Beautifully Displaying Confederate "Regulation" Waist Belt Plate w/Hooks |
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Here is One Beautiful Confederate CS RegulationWaist Belt Plate ! It shows a wonderful, even green/brown patina, that makes the "Magic Letters" stand out sharply. Reverse shows all three original belt attachments still nicely intact, and still a tiny bit of soil left on the plate itself. Entire plate is complete, and intact, with a few tiny chips out of the very outer edge, and a slight wave to the upper end of the -S-. However, a tiny piece along the bottom edge, just below the letter -C- was broken away from the plate The piece that broke off was about 1.25 inches long, and .25 inches wide at one end. Gave the plate, and broken piece, to one of the best artifact restoration men there is, and he did his usual magic. It came out beautifully, and is now once again fully intact. You used to see Regulation Plates this nice sell for almost $4000. But due to the tiny repair and the current economy, you can own this one for much, much, less. It’s a Superb Displaying Confederate Regulation Waist Belt Plate, at a Nice Price ! Measures 54.5mm x 88mm. Recovered Shelbyville, Tennessee. Guaranteed Authentic and as with all Confederate buckles and plates we sell, it comes with a written guarantee.
SOLD
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| Beautiful Eagle Sword Belt Plate - Recovered Spotsylvania, Virginia |
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| Here is a Real Nice Dug, Eagle Sword Belt Plate ! It's got a
beautiful smooth dark green patina, that shows excellent details on
the eagle device. You can read the motto, " E Pluribus Unum"
easily, and this is the pattern with sunrays that completely circle
the eagle. Four old solder spots show where the German Silver
wreath was once attached. Reverse shows integral tongue still in
good shape too. Plate still has a small bit of body curve, not
completely flat like some. Just a Very Nice Looking Eagle
Sword Belt Plate recovered Spotsylvania, Virginia !
SOLD
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