🥇 BANNER Naval Officers Buckle 1850s - Rare AMES mfg. variety

Scrappy

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Mar 6, 2014
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Naval Officers Buckle 1850's - Rare AMES mfg. variety

I got out for a quick jaunt this afternoon. The new location I found was a house that had the exterior modified, but surely dated pre-1840's. It had been abandoned and literally had 2-3' weeds, and was almost undetectable. Almost...

First signal was this killer buckle tongue.

ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1465521781.461153.jpg I searched for a half hour for the other half but no luck. I couldn't get the coil close to the ground for smaller target, so all I caught after that was big targets.

ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1465521882.355277.jpg

After some cleaning...

ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1465521902.690366.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1465521924.876568.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1465521934.046530.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1465521945.672136.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1465521959.627424.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1465522064.296581.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1465522083.139751.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1465522104.824840.jpg

What I believe I have is an Ames Mfg. Co. Navy buckle 1851-1862. This early variety has two stars by the anchor. Some of the gold gilting remains, but I didn't want to over clean it. It's definitely one of my favorite buckle finds ever

My take for the hour ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1465522113.905205.jpg

Enjoy.

Just a little updated pic - first one in sunlight;)

ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1465592486.846533.jpg

I love it!!!!
 

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Scrappy

Scrappy

Gold Member
Mar 6, 2014
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Sweet! Congrats! That is awesome!
Thanks Beep! Good to hear from you.
A museum piece and precious bit of history you've found. Looks like you could also hold a clinic on restoration at this point. What a stunner. Super happy for you!
Lol. Thanks for the restoration compliment. All it took was precise placement of citric acid (with varying degrees of acidity), while avoiding exposed copper with the acid. And patience. Thanks for looking
Congrats on another Banner Steve, well deserved by someone who continually digs some amazing finds.

Loco! Thanks bud. That means a lot from a fella I know takes hunting and relics seriously. Hopefully you'll get out again sooner than later, and I'll have a spot of my own lined up when you do.

Later bud
 

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Scrappy

Scrappy

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Mar 6, 2014
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Mach1Pilot

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Jul 21, 2008
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Wow Scrappy- it doesn't get any better than that one! Congrats!!
 

davemihm

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Feb 1, 2015
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Beautiful......I found my first buckle a couple of months ago, it was a union commissioned officer sword belt plate , found it of all the unusual places to find one it was a in Oregon where I live.....It is so exciting ... I feel blessed because I have only been metal detecting for a little more than a year and a half. Congrats.

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk
 

Ironman!

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Mar 25, 2009
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Sorry, I don't get on here much anymore. But what a "killer buckle" indeed! A very sincere congrats Scrappy!! That is a very good looking buckle and something we in my hunting circle seek out here on the west coast!!!

I thought you might like to see what a 49er did with a buckle like yours in a California Gold Rush camp back in the 1850's. I found this cast tongue of the 1852 pattern Navy buckle in March of this year. Speculation is because of these type of buckles being separated from the T-bar, an industrious miner cast his own buckle from the original center piece. There is only one other known being found in the adjoining county where I found this one.

Congrats again!
IM
 

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jorge del norte

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Dec 22, 2005
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Here is a new picture of my buckle..it shows how bad condition mine was in
 

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Scrappy

Scrappy

Gold Member
Mar 6, 2014
9,204
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17th century
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Minelab CTX 3030 & XP Deus
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Sorry, I don't get on here much anymore. But what a "killer buckle" indeed! A very sincere congrats Scrappy!! That is a very good looking buckle and something we in my hunting circle seek out here on the west coast!!!

I thought you might like to see what a 49er did with a buckle like yours in a California Gold Rush camp back in the 1850's. I found this cast tongue of the 1852 pattern Navy buckle in March of this year. Speculation is because of these type of buckles being separated from the T-bar, an industrious miner cast his own buckle from the original center piece. There is only one other known being found in the adjoining county where I found this one.

Congrats again!
IM
Great buckle. I really enjoy when relics have a human touch, and why relics are often more interesting than coin. That's an amazing piece of history you have there.
Here is a new picture of my buckle..it shows how bad condition mine was in

I'm glad this post inspired you and others to post your buckles. Officers buckles are rare finds and yours I bet tells a good story. Too bad they can't talk, and were left with the relic and our imagination.
 

birdman

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Jan 28, 2005
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Fantastic piece of history!
 

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