3RD Regiment of Foot "THE BUFFS"

Patriot Relics

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Hey guys,

I posted this curious piece of sand cast brass a few weeks ago in the "What is it" forum with the hopes to finding a definitive ID. While I knew it was a long shot, I figured the curly-cue tail feature might be enough to verify its origins. After endless hours of searching similar images online, I had nearly given up. On a whim, Gheenoe78 asked me to share a few pictures of the 3rd regimental button recovered in Charleston eariler this year. Looking to share the button variant, I opened the section of Troiani's book referencing the 3rd Regiment of Foot- staring me in the face was a dragon motif with a curly-cue tail...made of brass...my eureka moment! :laughing7: I pulled the piece out of my unknown pile and laid it carefully on Troiani's image. Well I think I may finally have an ID- a partial 3rd regiment of foot bayonet belt plate! While there are some slight cast differences, a few of the features line up perfectly (orientation, dragon wing lines, foot placement, tail curl). After 230 years, my first Revolutionary War dig is reunited with a plate partial from the same regiment. As always, please feel free to weigh in

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Upvote 13
Good job realizing that fragment was something good, lots of guys would have missed it. So cool that you dug and reunited those two artifacts.
 

How cool is that? ?
Good eye. It certainly looks like a match to me.
 

Good job realizing that fragment was something good, lots of guys would have missed it. So cool that you dug and reunited those two artifacts.

Thanks J, hopefully there is an intact one still out there.
 

Holy crap! You must of been real good at puzzles?
How the hell you picked that out Jon?
Congrats. Get back there and find the rest, or a whole one..
 

Holy crap! You must of been real good at puzzles?
How the hell you picked that out Jon?
Congrats. Get back there and find the rest, or a whole one..

Haha thanks George, something about the way it was cast made me think it was worth keeping. Never figured it might be part of a plate
 

Wow that is pretty darn amazing. I so hope you find an intact one someday. How amazing would that be? Great job on that Id
 

It's always a good thing not to toss things out, this is a perfect example of matching it up and now it becomes a piece of history instead of a piece of :dontknow:. Good eye!
 

I don't even know what to say... that's just unbelievable that you were able to ID that. Very impressive. Nice find too... but the ID has my mouth hanging open...
 

Great ID on that piece and I see what you are saying about it not being an absolutely perfect match--it's 95% as far as I can tell. It could be a bit earlier or later than the plate in the book. Any other similar regimental plates in the book?
 

I don't even know what to say... that's just unbelievable that you were able to ID that. Very impressive. Nice find too... but the ID has my mouth hanging open...

Thanks Tom, I nearly did a back flip when I realized what it was.
 

Great ID on that piece and I see what you are saying about it not being an absolutely perfect match--it's 95% as far as I can tell. It could be a bit earlier or later than the plate in the book. Any other similar regimental plates in the book?

Hey Erik, that is the only example in the book I'm afraid. Given it was sand cast, some variety is reasonable but I'll post an update if I can track down another example. Have to say, I never realized the 3rd had a dragon associated with the unit.
 

That's a fantastic job on the ID! I know you're proud of that one.
 

Lost count of how many IDs I found whilst looking for others, sometimes years later. Congrats
 

Wow Jon! Very impressive find and even more impressive ID! Congrats. Y'all are finding some great relics down in the lowcountry.
 

Wow Jon! Very impressive find and even more impressive ID! Congrats. Y'all are finding some great relics down in the lowcountry.

Thanks Darby, still up for a hunt in your neck of the woods :laughing7: or feel free to head down to the low country
 

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