Brass plated ring, and brass buckle? Extra ID help

[Kas]

This may not be the most exciting find, but If anyine has any info, that would be great.

Found these last weekend at an old farm. The ring, I thought was a copper compression fitting for a pipe. The more I looked at it the more I thought it was just that. I cleaned it up thinking that is what I'd find. Copper it is, but with brass plating. The only reason I say it is brass plating is that the ring was tarnished. My question. How old would this ring be if worn by a bride? When did they make them? Found 6" deep.

The buckle, is a Waterbury buckle. I've found plenty about them, and that they have been around for 150 years, but I've found that they only make steel double D buckles.
http://www.buckle-hardware.com/catalog.php

The one I found is brass. Any idea of age?

In the pic of the ring, you can see the Brass plating and the copper.
Thanks for looking, and any info you know.

 

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[Montana Jim]

Nice ring!

First: Here's a little about wedding bands: From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_ring

Quote: "The double-ring ceremony, or use of wedding rings for both partners, is a relatively recent innovation. The origin of the practice is uncertain, but it was never widespread. The American jewellery industry started a marketing campaign aimed at encouraging this usage in the late 19th century. The practice never became widespread, although it did warrant mention in an etiquette book in 1937. Learning from marketing lessons of the 1920s, changing economic times, and the impact of World War II, led to a more successful marketing campaign, and by the late 1940s, double-ring ceremonies made up for 80% of all weddings, as opposed to 15% before the Great Depression."

Now, the above is questionable in my opinion because of the possible dates quoted.

I also found a brass (solid brass) wedding band and just love it! I know that mine was a late 1860s through mid 1890s band that belonged to a Buffalo Soldier outfit, possibly from one of the white officers, stationed here in Montana at a site I have hunted.

Here are some references about CW era wedding bands:
http://www.iglou.com/btreasure/personal.htm
http://www.marleneharriscol.com/categories/AntiqueWeddingBands.html?offset=40

Here is another TreasureNet forum post that has some steel wedding bands and more talk about how old wedding bands could be:
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index....59913.0;sesc=29b96ed6452b6687c95595e3b668ff0e

Might not be the information you wanted, but as close as I can get right now.

 

[Kas]

it's something, and I appreciate your efforts.
HH
Ken

 

[trk5capt]

I Believe That The Buckle Is Off Of WW2 Era US ARMY Web Gear. trk5capt...

 

[TreasureTales]

I Believe That The Buckle Is Off Of WW2 Era US ARMY Web Gear. trk5capt...

That's what I was thinking, too. Buckle for a web belt and not especially old. The ring is very nice. Why copper plate a brass ring? That seems weird. Maybe it was silverplated at one time? I dunno, but I know I like it. Nice finds!!!

 

[Montana Jim]

http://www.buckle-hardware.com/catalog/index.php/dw/oc/a/1/c/2

 

[TreasureTales]

Good work, MJ!! So the buckles are still being made. Kas, get yourself a web belt and put that buckle on it - you can wear your relic. That would be really cool IMO.

 

[BioProfessor]

The reason the ring was copper plated and then silver plated might have been that the plating process needed the series of metal to produce a quality plate. The electrochemistry of the metals and solutions determine which metals can be plated with another one. It may have been that that was the easiest way to plate it. Another explanation might have been that they had two types of rings one copper plated and shiny to imitate gold and the other silver. It could have been easier for them to copper plate all the rings and then just silver plate those needed for the silver orders.

Daryl

 

[Kas]

http://www.buckle-hardware.com/catalog/index.php/dw/oc/a/1/c/2

Saw that. They still make them, but in steel, now. The one I found is brass under the black paint. Not so old I would guess.

The ring is copper, and had a brass plate over top.

The reason I said that it was brass over top of copper is because it came out tarnished, meaning that it wasn't gold plate.

They plated the copper so you wouldn't get the green finger I assume.

I'm pretty confident that the ring is a ring and not a compression fitting for a copper pipe.

Fits my wife, but going in the relic box.

Thanks all. Off I go to find more stuff. See you all later today.

HH
Ken