MILTIA BELT PLATE

[2country]

I found what I think is an old militia belt plate and a couple of flat buttons a few days ago at a plantation site that dates back to about 1750 not to far from my house . I found 2 pics of the belt plate , one said it dates back to 1810 , the other said 1820 . What do yall think ? The hook in the front got bent over backwards somehow , but I'll still take it .

 

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[vayank54]

It's an 1825 to 1835 milita plate. Even though it's bent up a bit it is still a nice looking plate. Probably worth a couple hundred dollars or so.

 

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[Tnmountains]

Very nice find !! Good detail.

 

[dfx willy]

nice finds!! but i always wondered how do you lose a belt plate?? unless you were shot and dead. or is it how they were attached. there s gotta be some answer because i think it would be pretty hard to lose. inquisitive willy.

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

You have my vote for banner..... nice find.

 

[2country]

Thanks for the comments and banner votes . Correct Spooky , its say "E PLURIBUS UNUM" on the inscription . Detectahead , there is nothing left of the house . It's just a big farm field with a long path going through the middle of it . The house was to the right of the path which is a bean field now and to the left of the path is a cotton field . The only sign that there was a house there is a few bricks and broken glass . The farmer who works it is a good friend of mine and he knew exactly where the house stood because he tore the foundation down and removed it when he first started working this farm .

 

[armchairQB30]

Examples of 1820's to 1840's New York Militia Belt Plates. We do find these in Florida from time to time on Seminole War sites and Seminole War Forts.

 

[2country]

Thanks armchairQB30 . Your second pic is the one I found . I'm in southeastern Virginia . I don't know much about the militia from that time frame . Did each state have a different type belt plate ? If so , I wonder what a N.Y. belt plate was doing here ? But like I said , I know nothing about it .

 

[rogues71]

nice plate gratz

 

[vayank54]

armchair, no offense but the plates you show are general militia plates and while they coould have been used by NY units many other units could have used them. A plate that was used only by NY troops will have the state motto EXCESIOR on it. There are many different styles of milita plates.

2country, It's possible your plate was lost before the civil war but could have been lost during the war as all kinds of older equipment was pressed into service.
Most if not all states did have their own plates with state seals and such. The ones that had just an eagle with no state motto or anything were general militia plates that could have been used by anyone.

 

[armchairQB30]

In my research and metal detecting activities, I deal with the Second Seminole War mainly in central Florida. I am continually amazed at the artifacts from 1776 to 1812 that show up in Florida for the time period of 1835 to 1842. There were 11 militia units from around the US at that time that fought in the Second Seminole War. They went to battle with what ever they had and that is why you see some really crazy things showing up on civil war battlefields also...consider the following;

At one site I found.... a button from 1796, a Georgia state button, a US button from 1812 and a bunch of general services buttons from 1827. The soldiers took these things to war in 1835-1837 and lost them.

Answer: The military accoutrement's were standardized in 1838 and units started to adopt these standards in 1839...most of the sites I am diggin are from 1835 to 1837. Once again 11 different militia units were at the sites I am digging.

I love to see a short artillery sword made in 1832 showing up on a civil war battlefield and so on.

I just wanted to show some examples of early militia plates and the second one shown is a 1820's NY plate and the others are from various sources I assume. I was showing the time period mainly.

 

[vayank54]

Man you are in a good area I love digging that early stuff. The reason I mentioned about the plates is that you had they were NY at the top. Anyway I was just trying to help.
You just never know what the soldiers used in the different wars. Even in the civil warcamps in VA we sometimes find 1812 and earlier period stuff. I once dug a Rev war gun barrel cleaner in a confederate fort.
Anyway I was just trying to help and am sorry about any misunderstanding.

 

[Aquila]

Cool relic! Never seen buckle like that before.

 

[armchairQB30]

vayank,

No problem, I spend a lot of time here www.midtenrelics.com and the links provided on Larry's website to research and value relics and artifacts that he sells. Shiloh Relics has lots of 1812-1842 period military items. That is not a very well researched and documented time period in US Military history. Most people go from the War of 1812 to the Civil War and know nothing of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Seminole Wars. I have a map that shows every location of every Fort in Florida for that time period and a few more that are very interesting. The Second Seminole War had only 1,500 total casualties compared to what? Millions in the Civil War? The largest battle in Florida was about 750 Seminoles against 1,250 US, Non Florida Militia, Florida Militia and Indian Volunteers. Even a musket ball found is a precious relic considering that the engagements were so small. You guys in VA can milk one site for years near a battlefield if you get lucky. I fell in love with MD'ing about three years ago after my daughter found a cannon ball (6 lb shot) on my in-laws property with a Radio Shack MD. With my background in the military reading maps and my job being a casting processes engineering sales guy......I found the perfect hobby. I am more of a historian who enjoys researching just as much as the MDing. I typically spend about 3 months researching before I ever pick up and go looking. The most fun is comparing the old maps to the modern topo maps and then when you throw in the battlefield reports and accounts from the men who were there...it really becomes quite simple to find things. Then of course the landowner presents another unique challenge, I would say that my hit rate is about 60% with landowners because of the approach I take. I have a site that took me two years to get permission and we are about to start hunting there next week. I will post what I find to the board.

 

[kuger]

cool find that might be from a 2 part belt plate the other piece is missing
http://www.relicman.com/plates/P0305.htm

Fantastic find!!!That is banner material.It is most defiatly not part of a two piece buckle(as the one you have pictured)What is the belt loop and catch for if it was?Also the one you pictured is Cast brass...this one is stamped.

 

[SCMDing]

Great Find! Here is a little more info on your Belt Plate. Again, congrats.

 

[pitdiggers]

I am jealous. Outstanding piece! Nice early buttons you have there as well. Banner all the way. You will probably never find another one like that. Congrats!

 

[Golden1]

Congrat's That is one super find

G1

 

[Hutch911]

Great plate way to go

 

[Lookn4Seated]

Awesome find! Congrats on the Banner.

 

[2country]

Thanks again for the comments everybody . SCMDing , thanks for the info . I'll be hunting this site hard next week , maybe I can find some more good stuff to show ya'll .