Ron is 100% right. these were made by commercial manufacturers and made available for retail and are often called 'sash plates' but they were not. they were used as accoutrement belt plates and were worn in the field. but because some were stamped like yours; they did not hold up well and broke easily. I have seen all sorts of field modified broken pieces to keep them serviceable. this tongue disc is the most common stamped type found in gold camps. there are many varieties and die designs. Some have retailers' names on them, etc.
There is a stamped five-pointed star that is found in these 1850's gold camps. I have personally dug one and have owned another. they have occasionally been dug outside of gold camps as well. but I have seen the claim they are 'Texas' plates. but they are not. again, someone from Texas could have bought one and worn it; but they were not made for the Texas militia. There is a Civil War dealer out there who has been trying to sell one of these as a 'Texas' plates for about $2000. a real retail value on a stamped five star commercial plate is about $350-600 depending on condition, provenance, etc. I have no doubt a few Texans wore these plates but again, they bought them because they liked them. a miner from Mississippi could buy one too. so could a northerner who liked stars (think Maine), etc. but they are neat plates and display well. I sold one to a collector who wanted a 'Texas' plate but could not afford a proper Texas plate. I told him that more likely than not; it was worn by a southerner in the gold fields in the 1850's and it would look nice in his display. I sold it for $350 which I felt was a little on the cheap side given how nice and complete it was but he got a good deal.
There are some unscrupulous people out there buying some of these west coast dug plates. then they are making up a 'Confederate' or 'Civil War' history and reselling them for a profit with the bogus story. there is a cast eagle plate that is super common in gold camps. I have dug 3-4 of these. these plates were sturdy and I have no doubt some were worn during the war; but they are not CS copies as I have often seen them purported to be.
you need to know your source and trust the dealer if you see one of these plates with a Civil War context. these plates were made early-mid 1850's, they are civilian, though they were available to anyone who wanted to buy them; to include a militia group, etc. Got a little off topic but I wanted to get this info out so collectors have the knowledge.
nice find by the way. that is a scare find where you are.
