✅ SOLVED Is this really a Colonial shoe buckle or a just a reproduction? Please help.

[FreeBirdTim]

I found this shoe buckle metal detecting the other day. It was 10" down and seems to be made of brass. It measures 1 3/4" by 2 3/4 ". I posted pics on another discussion board and they all say it's an authentic Colonial era shoe buckle.

My questions are:

1) Is it really that old?

2) Is it brass or possibly silver? It seems too heavy to be silver, but I'm not positive.

3) Could it be a reproduction made for some sort of Revolutionary War reenactment or similar event?

I'm getting a lot of heat from friends and relatives on this one! They think I'm full of it and that it's less than 100 years old (and worthless). How can I prove it's real? Thanks for your help!

.

 

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[BosnMate]

I know nothing about shoe buckles, but want to find out what the experts have to say. Good find either way.

 

[CC Hunter]

FreeBirdTim,

In Answer To Your Questions:

1) Yes, your intact shoe buckle is really that old! Well over 200 years in fact.

2) The metal composition is likely brass, that was possibly silver plated originally. Silver when being dug, will vary in color from shiny bright silver color, to dull gray, and sometimes black, depending on soil conditions. The color of metal on your find, is consistent with excavated brass.

3) The style of design, intricate hand-cut details, surface patina, and all other features are clearly a match for an original Colonial Period shoe buckle dating to the 18th Century!

You can tell your friends and relatives to hand over the cash, as they are the losers on any bets.
What you have found is the Real Deal 100%. Fully intact Colonial shoe buckles such as this are actually a rather rare find. More often than not, they are found missing the center toothed catch piece, known as a "chape". In fact, in most cases, relic hunters and metal detectorists only find broken pieces of shoe buckles. On occasion when a fully intact shoe buckle is found, seems they are mainly the very plain utilitarian style. Yours is the more finely constructed and detailed type, very fashionable for a well dressed dandy of the period.


CC Hunter

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

CC Hunter beat me to answering by a few minutes... but I agree 100% with everything he says about that Colonial Era shoebuckle. In my opinion as a professional Archeologist, it is definitely a genuine centuries-old Original specimen, not a modern-era reproduction.

In particular, the labor of engraving the decorations on it, one-at-a-time, using hand-powered engraving tools, would make it too costly to sell to Reenactors at an affordable price. There are a few skilled (and extraordinarily patient) metalcraftsmen alive today who are capable of doing that meticulous fine-detail work, but their labor-charge is a lot more than $10 an hour.

 

[SCDigginWithAK]

Very very very nice find!!! Show you doubters this thread and the others! Also welcome to T-Net!! Happy hunting

 

[FreeBirdTim]

CC Hunter, Thank you so much for the very informative and detailed reply! I will be sending a link to this thread to all the naysayers to silence them once and for all! Thanks again!

 

[FreeBirdTim]

TheCannonballguy, Thank you for confirming CC Hunter's answer! I can now display this buckle with pride instead of hiding it in my drawer!

 

[FreeBirdTim]

BosnMate, Thanks! I just wish I had shot a video or took some photos of the dig! I just stuck it in my pocket and went back to detecting!

 

[FreeBirdTim]

SCDigginWithAK, Thank you for welcoming me to T-Net! I'll be sending a lot of emails out to the doubters tonight!

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Perses, Yes, the pitting did give me a clue as to it's age, but I thought it might be from the early 1900's. The condition of the buckle fooled me. The hinge still works smoothly and it seems to be intact with nothing missing. I never imagined that a Colonial era buckle could survive in that condition.

 

[ModernMiner]

Fantastic Colonial buckle!!! What a beauty.
Congrats,
MM

 

[FreeBirdTim]

ModernMiner, Thanks! I guess you never know what you may find when metal detecting in New England!

 

[Colonial_New_England]

That is an absolutely beautiful, hand-made buckle... I actually found a similar buckle frame with near identical markings/engravings earlier this year at an early 1700's site, but unfortunately the chape was not intact on mine as it is on yours... That is a gorgeous piece you have there, and YES we are so lucky to live in New England! Feel bad for those West Coasters though I'm sure they have their fun too!

 

[Iron Patch]

There's many guys on here who have hunted early sites for a long time and never dug a buckle that nice, and I am one of them. Buttons... yeah you'd be in trouble ....but you definitely have me on the buckle.

 

[Silver Searcher]

The only way you could have bettered that buckle, is to have found the shoe as well, I find loads of these over here and I can tell you there are usually smashed into bits...Great find.

SS

 

[steelheadwill]

Unusually nice intact buckle. The curved shape, decor, and size are consistent with 'Artois' style buckles,
mid to late 18th C. Congrats on the great recovery

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Colonial New England, Thank you. I guess it must be a quality buckle to have more than one survive that many years. It's funny, I was getting jealous watching some Civil War digs on YouTube last week. I never thought I'd find something even older than the Civil War era! I'll be going back to the spot as soon as we get some rain. I do so much better detecting when the ground is wet.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Iron Patch, I'm sure you've got me on buttons. I've found a few plain, flat brass buttons, but they're all too far gone to read the stamping on the back. I did find a WWII army button, but those are very common. I'll keep searching and post any of my decent finds here.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

steelheadwill, Thank you and thanks for the added info. I'll Google that info and see if I can get any details regarding the manufacturer of the buckle. Probably not, but it's worth a shot.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Silver Searcher, Thanks for putting that idea into my head! Now I'll have to go and dig up the whole area looking for a shoe! LOL!