17th or 18 century?

Tomtom401

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Oct 10, 2019
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Size is 1.3 inches left to right and 1 inch top to bottom.

63A3E2BD-1461-4680-9955-2EDF585F70D1.jpeg

21A20B0E-6516-4717-94BC-F92849EA2692.jpeg
 

smokeythecat

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It is cast brass. The Victorian 19th century buckles were mainly stamped brass, as technology had changed. The interior parts of the buckles also are not Victorian.

I would place this buckle at the end of the 17th century or first quarter of the 18th century. The iron tines are now gone, but the manufacture is early. It's a nice one too.
 

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Tomtom401

Jr. Member
Oct 10, 2019
37
183
Rhode Island
Detector(s) used
Minelab equinox 800. Garrett Ace 300
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
It is cast brass. The Victorian 19th century buckles were mainly stamped brass, as technology had changed. The interior parts of the buckles also are not Victorian.

I would place this buckle at the end of the 17th century or first quarter of the 18th century. The iron tines are now gone, but the manufacture is early. It's a nice one too.

I was thinking the same thing because of the anchor chape
 

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DCMatt

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Oct 12, 2006
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I found it in the lip of cellar hole from the 1700’s so I do wonder if it could be from the late 1600’s

In the 1600's breeches were buttoned at the knee. About 1730 knee buckles began to come in to fashion. 1750's they were small and square - like yours. By the American revolution they were larger and sometimes oval (square were still worn but larger). By the 1790's, breeches were tied at the knee although buckles held fashion for another decade or so. By 1820 nobody was wearing knee or shoe buckles anymore.

So, I'd safely call yours 1750's.
 

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DCMatt

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Shoe buckles stopped using the anchor roll chape and switched to a loop chape in the 1720's as shoe buckles got larger and the anchor/fluke roll could not take the stress. Knee buckles, according to my research, used the anchor chape throughout because they did not have the stress of larger shoe buckles. Knee buckles were fashionable from the 1730's into the very early 1800's.

Unless my interpretation is incorrect...

Consult - American Artifacts of Personal Adornment, 1680 - 1820 - by Carolyn White. Copyright 2005
 

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