Confederate States buckle?

[Garscale]

Here is a buckle I dug on the Brazos river last year while digging arrowheads. I think its a civil war buckle? My digging partner still has it. Any info on it?

 

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[civilman1]

Damn right!! Looks like a "Breckinridge" style plate Great save!

 

[fyrffytr1]

Does the double stamping raise any questions about this piece?

 

[Garscale]

Double stamping?

 

[smokeythecat]

It resembles a double die stamping from the US Mint. I Also agree it's a Breckenridge. The doubling of the letters is a little odd.

 

[Garscale]

Its dinged up some and there may just be an illusion of double stamping . didn't notice that in hand at all. I dug it on a hill side overlooking the Brazos river in an amazing I down site.

 

[smokeythecat]

Well, I like it! The doubling I was looking at is on the top sides of the C and also the S.

 

[Garscale]

Well I never saw one before. Had no idea what it was. Almost ended up in a trash pile.

 

[smokeythecat]

It translates to a decent downpayment on a new car...

 

[fyrffytr1]

Send the pictures to Harry Ridgeway along with measurements of width and height. He is pretty knowledgeable on civil war stuff. I don't know enough about buckles to say one way or another. I hope it is the real deal. I would also clean the back a little to better show the attachment points. A toothbrush would do the job.

[email protected]

 

[Garscale]

Send the pictures to Harry Ridgeway. He is pretty knowledgeable on civil war stuff. I don't know enough about buckles to say one way or another. I hope it is the real deal. I would also clean the back a little to better show the attachment points. A toothbrush would do the job.

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It cleaned up pretty nice. Those pics were in the field before it was even washed. We were doing a screen dig and I put it on a screen table for a fellow. He asked me if I knew what it might be and I suggested it might be off a belt buckle. We were near college station tx and the supposition was the CS was for college station. He pitched it down but my gut feel was that it was old since I dug it in Indian context. I told My partner who owns the property about it and we did a little Google search and found out what it was. He got it and I think the digger was already gone. I know he paid the guy something and gave him some free days digging even though it was presumed trash at that point .

 

[fyrffytr1]

I looked through the one book I have on plates and buckles and, if yours is the real deal, it is a Breckinridge plate. In the book "Plates and Buckles of the American Military 1795-1874" by Sydney C. Kerksis the Breckinridge plate shows 4 variations and are found on pages 284-287. To me, your plate most closely resembles figure 277.
Provenance: Confederate States
Type: waist belt plate
Perios 1861-1865
Method of Manufacture: die stamped
Weight: about 1 ounce
material: copper
Dimensions: about 2.24 x 3.40 inches
58 x 87millimeters

They are called "Breckinridge" plates as what few specimens have been recovered in Virginia were in positions occupied by the division of that Confederate commander. This variety is the only oval "CS" plate with the belt hooks under the "S" and is quite rare.

I looked at your pictures again and noticed what looks like a triple stamping especially on the "C"

 

[Garscale]

There is no chance its anything but real. I dug it without a clue what it was in a remote area indian camp. Not like someone planted a fake there on the off chance someone happened to dig there some day

 

[fyrffytr1]

I am not saying it is fake. I hope it is real. You said your friend still has it so get it and measure it and look to see if it has been stamped more than once. Just because it may have been double or triple stamped does not make it a fake. If anything, in my mind, it would make it rarer and that much nicer.

 

[Garscale]

I am not saying it is fake. I hope it is real. You said your friend still has it so get it and measure it and look to see if it has been stamped more than once. Just because it may have been double or triple stamped does not make it a fake. If anything, in my mind, it would make it rarer and that much nicer.

I see what you are saying. Yeah he still has it in the site collection.

 

[Garscale]

Here are numbers on it

 

[Garscale]

It does appear to be double stamped as noted.

 

[fyrffytr1]

I think it is real. I would contact Tom Ridgeway for verification.

[email protected]

 

[GaRebel1861]

That's one heck of a nice find! If I were you, I'd be back out there with a metal detector. That plate may not be the only civil war relic out there. Good luck.

 

[Garscale]

That's one heck of a nice find! If I were you, I'd be back out there with a metal detector. That plate may not be the only civil war relic out there. Good luck.

There were 9 undamaged lead bullets probably 45 cal in the same dirt. Also some decayed unidentified leather and a small brass buckle I presumed off a horse bridle at the time. Now I'm guessing it was an actual belt buckle and the bullets were in a bag on it.