Rev. & Civil War Site !

[DirtyMike]

All this from one yard. The house on this site was built in the mid 1700's and was built by one of the Washington's. During the civil war a few regiments camped there. I know Civil War but these Revolutionary items I know little about. All help would be appreciated. I believe there is a cross belt plate, and the double d buckle I would like to date. I dug alot more stuff at this spot and as soon as I get my SD card reader fixed I will post some more.

[baspinall]

I know the item in your second picture above left of the stirrup looking thing is a Jews Harp which was a musical instrument caried by lots of soldiers in the Rev. & possibly the Civil War as well.

Brian

[baspinall]

Pretty sure your last picture is a shoulder belt plate (Rev. War) Nice find!

[floodcitykid]

Shoe buckle, square plate could be shoulder plate or martingale front piece, (horseman).

Nice,
Just as a not, Civil war soldiers often camped at Rev war/1812 sites.


Floodcity kid

[cobra_jet]

Congratulations, the plate is a early war militia style plate as used by the early war Virginia Confederate troops. Please post a pic of the back when you get a chance.

Best,

[BuckleBoy]

I think the relics you posted are mainly colonial era homestead relics, aside from the Civil War ones... The early items are the jew's harp, the shoe buckles, and perhaps also the clipped-corner plate. I would like to see a photo of that plate with something for scale if you can--and a shot of the back of it would help too.

The problem with saying that those items mentioned above are Rev War items is that there was no Rev War lead found.

But those finds are consistent with 1700s era homesites.


That belt buckle or shoulder belt plate could be a Very good find.

Heck, anyone would be tickled to death with half of what you found there.




Best Wishes,



Buckles

[DirtyMike]

Congratulations, the plate is a early war militia style plate as used by the early war Virginia Confederate troops. Please post a pic of the back when you get a chance.

Best,

The size is 2 7/8 x 2 3/8. Its not a confederate plate though.

[BuckleBoy]

Congratulations, the plate is a early war militia style plate as used by the early war Virginia Confederate troops. Please post a pic of the back when you get a chance.

Best,

The size is 2 7/8 x 2 3/8. Its not a confederate plate though.

It is a plate from an old trunk.

[DirtyMike]

Congratulations, the plate is a early war militia style plate as used by the early war Virginia Confederate troops. Please post a pic of the back when you get a chance.

Best,

The size is 2 7/8 x 2 3/8. Its not a confederate plate though.

It is a plate from an old trunk.

You know, I have heard plate from an old trunk befor. I really don't know. I have had several more people say cross belt plate and send me links. Armyoftennesseerelics.com had one for sale you can still see. Hopefully I will get it figured out.

[BuckleBoy]

Congratulations, the plate is a early war militia style plate as used by the early war Virginia Confederate troops. Please post a pic of the back when you get a chance.

Best,

The size is 2 7/8 x 2 3/8. Its not a confederate plate though.

It is a plate from an old trunk.

You know, I have heard plate from an old trunk befor. I really don't know. I have had several more people say cross belt plate and send me links. Armyoftennesseerelics.com had one for sale you can still see. Hopefully I will get it figured out.

I think we need to find a photo of the trunk one came off of. I have Never seen a photo of a legitimate shoulder belt plate with six attachment hooks on it. I am probably 90% convinced that this find is inaccurately ID'ed on the relic websites--which copy each other's ID's of items. I mean, there were web sites--reputable ones--selling Sash Weights as "Civil War Underwear Buttons" for God's sake. Don't believe anything you read. "Flower buttons" aren't worth $25 bucks apiece as "CW relics." They are civilian items that saw some CW use. I feel certain that most of the flower buttons for sale at such outrageous prices never saw the inside of a CW camp.

And as I said earlier in my replies, this does not strike me as a Rev. War site. Just a colonial house site with some CW activity on its grounds.


Regards,


Buckles

[DirtyMike]

Don't take me wrong I do agree with you. Just a little wishfull thinking thats all. With that being said I have received 2 emails from people who have dug these. They both had said cross belt plate and if it is a wrong id on that site and these guys seen it aswell then thats that but, one of the guys claimed to have had a Rev. war pro take a look at it and identified it as the same. Who knows. All I know is its confederate, one of a kind, worn by Alabama militia, and is worth at least a grand.

[BuckleBoy]

Don't take me wrong I do agree with you. Just a little wishfull thinking thats all. With that being said I have received 2 emails from people who have dug these. They both had said cross belt plate and if it is a wrong id on that site and these guys seen it aswell then thats that but, one of the guys claimed to have had a Rev. war pro take a look at it and identified it as the same. Who knows. All I know is its confederate, one of a kind, worn by Alabama militia, and is worth at least a grand.

I'm not completely convinced that it isn't... so it is open for debate. I just haven't seen any evidence for or against. And I have no clue as to where these experts out there have gotten their information from.

But I do see a lot of incorrect info out there, and the world wide web is Not helping because it is spreading it everywhere.

[cobra_jet]

That plate is now a stumper......I'm not sure why a breast plate would have 6 attachment points......Have you examined it closely for any engraving ?

Anyone have a copy of Lon Keim's buckle book handy ? There may be a reference there for something similar.

Best,

[DirtyMike]

I have examined it quite close although I do not want to scrub it any. And still no markings that I can see. The way the post appear (whats left of them cause they are broke off) is that they were bent over with just enough room for a piece of leather strap or belt to fit through. Its quite firm and the corners are not crude cuts like those often seen on confederate "clipped corner" plates.

[Iron Patch]

It is most definitely not a cross belt plate. I talked to a well known American military expert and he had no doubt it was a trunk plate. Both my digging bud and I each found one at the same site ... and trust me, we ain't that lucky. Purely by coincidence we dug 3 Rev War officer buttons but there's not even hope in that because there's no way they were wearing plain plates.

There are similar type military plates but these are a no go.

[romeo-1]

It is most definitely not a cross belt plate. I talked to a well known American military expert and he had no doubt it was a trunk plate. Both my digging bud and I each found one at the same site ... and trust me, we ain't that lucky. Purely by coincidence we dug 3 Rev War officer buttons but there's not even hope in that because there's no way they were wearing plain plates.

There are similar type military plates but these are a no go.

It's a "romeo plate"...I got one too!

[Iron Patch]

PS... for anyone who believes it is a Rev plate mine has a super patina and I would sell it for $500. But if it's a Condederate plate I would need $750. You can choose.

[Iron Patch]

Picture.

[DirtyMike]

PS... for anyone who believes it is a Rev plate mine has a super patina and I would sell it for $500. But if it's a Confederate plate I would need $750. You can choose.

What if its both and the revolutionary war soldier gave it to the confederate soldier. Now its worth $1,250! That's a deal ! On a serious note does anyone have a picture of these actually still attached to a trunk?

[vonrall]

Buckle Boy is correct it is a trunk plate , no question about it. The oval buckle with center bar is American for the shoulder belt of the "new invented cartridgebox" of 1779.

PS... for anyone who believes it is a Rev plate mine has a super patina and I would sell it for $500. But if it's a Confederate plate I would need $750. You can choose.

What if its both and the revolutionary war soldier gave it to the confederate soldier. Now its worth $1,250! That's a deal ! On a serious note does anyone have a picture of these actually still attached to a trunk?