Civil War Boot Plate

[labradoodle of pa]

Found this today at a civil war site

 

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[cntrydncr1]

very nice find! congrats

 

[accuweather]

Nice find.

 

[jewelerguy]

cool

 

[Valley Ranger]

Looks to be near perfect condition - nice!

 

[JmCraz8]

Very cool, a lot of miles on that plate, congrats!!!

 

[flakefinder]

If that plate could talk, Congrats on a nice find. Good hunting.

 

[{Sentinel}]

A very pretty example, congrats!

 

[CSA2K]

Very nice

 

[labradoodle of pa]

Thank you everyone

 

[MBGG]

very good！

 

[Papa Bear]

Well done!!

 

[Garrett424]

Really nice old find.

 

[Erik in NJ]

Sorry, it has nothing to do with the Civil War! Some claim prostitutes wore the ones with hearts on the heels.

 

[CRUSADER]

Sorry, it has nothing to do with the Civil War! Some claim prostitutes wore the ones with hearts on the heels.

I agree, doesn't look military issue to me either.

 

[sutphin]

LAPRDOODLE SEE YOU FOUND THE QUEEN OF HEARTS , NICE.....OLE CIVIL WAR PEICE.

 

[Erik in NJ]

I agree, doesn't look military issue to me either.

Its a heel plate from a woman's boot (this has been confirmed with a dug boot). They come with different patterns punched out .... Heart, diamond, club, spade, and at least one more shape that I've seen posted here. CW-era, but not military.

 

[etex]

I agree they were not military issued, but were worn by men also, numerous ones have been dug in camp sites, most do not have any design, such as star, club, heart, misc., Really hard to say one is civil war unless you dig it with other period items.

 

[Steve in PA]

These heart shaped heel plates along with the clover shaped heel plates turn up on civil war era sites both military and civilian. They were not military issue, but I suspect that the were commonly used on riding boots. The heart shaped ones had nothing to do with prostitutes.

 

[49r Relics]

Sorry, it has nothing to do with the Civil War! Some claim prostitutes wore the ones with hearts on the heels.

It's definitely civilian and the theory that ladies of the night wore them depends on the size as there were both small sizes and normal sizes available for both sexes and they were available at mercantile merchants in other designs such as a clover leaf, star, shield, etc.

I presume they post-date the California Gold Rush because we never find them on the early camps.

Very cool find and if I were lucky enough to find one some day, the heart would be my choice as it has the story to tell about the ladies of the night. Congrats!