civil war buckle-real or repro?

[cheffer]

Hi all-
Went to my parent's house for Thanksgiving and we were all sitting around discussing our finds over the years. My mother found this belt buckle in the deep woods near the NY border about ten years ago, and is now thinking about selling it, but she doesn't know if it's authentic or not. Unfortuntely there is no one in our area with that kind of expertise. Do any of you know of a reputable dealer who we could send this to in order to get an appraisal? Here are pictures, would appreciate any feedback from you all...

 

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[cheffer]

a little more info...

just wanted to mention that yes, my mother did clean this back then, nothing abrasive, just light scrubbing (I know, I know). It is very heavy, around 2 1/2 inches by 1 3/4 inches, about 1/8 inch or more thickness. File marks on some of the letters. The back appears to have been repaired at one time with lead (single hook, now fairly corroded). My feeling has always been that if it were a repro, why would someone bother to repair that hook? Anyhow, she would be willing to pay a reasonable amount for the appraisal, just to have an answer once and for all.
Thanks,
Steve
ps is there somewhere else on this site that this post would be more appropriate?

 

[jeff of pa]

Re: a little more info...

ps is there somewhere else on this site that this post would be more appropriate?

I would think If real it would be Light.
? ? ? However I know little to Nothing about Civil War Relics.

As for Your P.S.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?I'd Say this is the Perfect spot, as you want to know What it is. Real Or Repro?

GOOD LUCK !
? ?jeff

 

[trk5capt]

I believe your plate is an Atlanta Arsenal style variant. Proably brought home to N.Y. by a Union solder. Contact www.americandigger.com for more info. trk5capt...

 

[MichaelB]

Jim of Point Clear, AL is one of the most respected people in all things Civil War Relic. If you send him an email at: jim@confederateordinance.com with that picture he may be able to give you a quick answer. His URL is: http://www.confederateordinance.com.

Lets us know what the final verdict is. It looks great. I hope this helped.

MichaelB

 

[rasrandy]

Try relicman.com---Hes a buyer and seller of civil war relics
in virginia with speedy replies.HHs

 

[MichaelB]

Here is a pic of a one:

http://www.cw1861.com/1CS buckles.htm

MichaelB

 

[dnewbury2]

Contact Rafael at Shiloh Civil War Relics (www.shilohrelics.com). He has appeared on PBS's Antiques Roadshow and is well respected in the field.

 

[PSI357]

I don't claim to know it all, but when I see tabs on the back like that I would lean toward authentic. Most of the re-pro's I have seen (and the one I wear ) have a metal loop for the belt to snap around. Let us know when you find out for sure.


P.S. Did your mother find it just laying on the ground or with a detector?

 

[cheffer]

The plate was found with a detector, my parents have owned them since they first came out, and got my brother and myself into the hobby. Just an update- I heard from an associate of Jim's that it may be a reproduction, circa 1920 or so, based on the thin layer of lead melted over the back of the brass plate. I'm still not sure, and haven't heard back from any of the folks I contacted that I could send it to. So....