Beautifully Ornate Colonial Shoe Buckle

[Erik in NJ]

Spent a couple of hours back at the colonial house and it continued to yield some great relics and a semi-key date coin! This was a deep signal that was under a large root and I was getting frustrated trying to find it as it indicated shallowed than it was due to its size. I figured it was junk and didn't dig carefully in my frustration, somehow I managed not to hit or destroy it with my shovel--probably thanks to the big root. I finally saw it on edge and worked it out slowly by hand. I got very excited when it appeared to be an old colonial shoe buckle! My first.

At home I washed it in soap and water and it began to show signs of what appeared to be gilt. After a few treatments with Al jelly, it revealed a beautifully ornate silver plated buckle! Notice the four crimps on the bar in the center which is stationary.

Any more info on this buckle would be greatly appreciated.

 

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[Goldirocks]

Beautiful Buckle Eric!

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Very nice Erik! Never seen one quite like that. Not sure about its age either, but I could guess late colonial.

 

[birdman]

Not sure the age but she is nice.

 

[Steve in PA]

That's a nice buckle Erik, but it's not a shoe buckle. I think it's a woman's sash buckle from the Victorian era.

 

[Beercanman]

I have to agree with Steve, Victorian sash but I'm no expert. I love my buckles.

 

[John Boy]

Way to go Eric.That buckle is a awesome find.looks great.

 

[Erik in NJ]

Hi Steve, Just curious why you don't think it's a shoe buckle. I thought about sash buckle too, but I'm not terribly familiar with either. To me it doesn't have that typical Victorian look to it. I was thinkinging perhaps early 1800s??

 

[granthansen]

Gorgeous buckle. Your perseverance (and luck) paid off. I hope it gets a proper ID.

 

[Erik in NJ]

Do you have any similar examples of sash buckles? I thought the bar might date it to a specific period. I wouldn't be heartbroken if it dates to Victorian era as I have been digging a great mix of Victorian and Colonial relics from this house.

 

[dig kzoo]

What a great buckle!

 

[Yard Digger]

Whatever type it is and from whatever era, it sure is sweet!

 

[wheatfinder13]

Wow very nice

 

[artyfacts]

I'm glad you got to the root of the matter. Beautiful save. And congratulations on not shoveling it... Art

 

[JmCraz8]

That's a beauty!!!

 

[Steve in PA]

Hi Steve, Just curious why you don't think it's a shoe buckle. I thought about sash buckle too, but I'm not terribly familiar with either. To me it doesn't have that typical Victorian look to it. I was thinkinging perhaps early 1800s??

Hey Erik - yes the bar was part of the reason I said it is not a colonial shoe buckle. That and the pin terminals on the buckle frame. It also appears to be stamped and plated. 18th century shoe buckles were cast brass, not stamped sheet brass.

 

[Erik in NJ]

Thanks Steve for the info! This buckle is in fact stamped it would seem. The knee buckle I found about 10 yards away is cast--so you can see there's an interesting mix of relics. That looks like a great reference book you have there...if you don't mind could you provide a bibliography? Best, Erik

 

[Steve in PA]

Thanks Steve for the info! This buckle is in fact stamped it would seem. The knee buckle I found about 10 yards away is cast--so you can see there's an interesting mix of relics. That looks like a great reference book you have there...if you don't mind could you provide a bibliography? Best, Erik

Erik, that picture is from a book called "The Archaeological Investigation of Fort Ligonier". Fort Ligonier was a French & Indian War fort built by the British in 1758. When I was a small boy I lived right next to the fort site when they where excavating it in the early 1960s. The head Archie, Jake Grimm, let my brother and I actually sift dirt through the screens. I was finding colonial artifacts before I was in 1st grade - LOL. There are better reference books for colonial artifacts out there, but this is the only one that I've seen that shows the evolution of the pin terminals during the 18th century. Over the years, I have found this to be true based on my finds.
Archaeological Investigation of Fort Ligonier, 1960-1965: Jacob L. Grimm: Amazon.com: Books

 

[Silver Searcher]

Hi Steve, Just curious why you don't think it's a shoe buckle. I thought about sash buckle too, but I'm not terribly familiar with either. To me it doesn't have that typical Victorian look to it. I was thinkinging perhaps early 1800s??

A shoe buckle would have had a rotating pin for the prongs, to go with the outher components (chape) of the buckle, I would agree it is a Sash Buckle/Slide...but a nice one to

SS

 

[Muddyhandz]

That's actually an interesting example.
I have found a few different decorative square frame buckles like yours except there's a solid flat brass bar going through the middle.
Yours has a (ferrous?) wire through the middles and two fasteners on the sides. Same decorative square frame but different fasteners.
Mine would date to the late 19th/early 20th century but yours is probably older. I don't think colonial but pretty close.
I could dig mine out and take a picture if you wish.
Great find!
Cheers,
Dave.