Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle /Update!!!! HikerMike button pics

[carpetbagger]

Found the belt plate yesterday at a site where myself and several of my hunting buddies have been many times. I even held a club hunt at this location with over 15 people. HikerMike pulled a nice Waterbury & Benedict com. button dated 1829-34. Just goes to show you a place is never hunted out. Any info on how to preserve and clean the plate would be helpful. Also the only reason i know what it is is because of a picture on google, I know nothing else about the history of this buckle.

Found the large cent and brooch at one of HikerMikes spots about a month ago

 

[chopper]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

I am incredibly jealous! seriously though..I gotta find one of those. My vote is to have it professionally straightened, unless the folks that do the work see some problem or reason not to. Congrats!

 

[Dman]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

Nice buckle find.
Dman

 

[ModernMiner]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

VERY nice CW find WSC!!!
Congrats to you.
-MM-

 

[Ramapirate]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

Very nice!

HH,
Ramapirate

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

I just had to sneak a peek at this one again...



-Buck

 

[Ramapirate]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

I'm getting a bad feeling on the straigtening thing. Even though it's bent, it's not broken. Maybe ask someone at a show or something. That is way too nice a find to chance messing it up.

HH,
Ramapirate

 

[JerV3]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

Those are some nice finds.

Once in a lifetime for a good hunter. I'd like to find a plate of some kind one day. I know there here in Pa. Hard call to make on cleaning and condition. Depends on what you wanna do with it. I know what I would do.

Good luck on your choices

HH Jer

 

[carpetbagger]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

Those are some nice finds.
Once in a lifetime for a good hunter. I'd like to find a plate of some kind one day. I know there here in Pa. Hard call to make on cleaning and condition. Depends on what you wanna do with it. I know what I would do.
Good luck on your choices
HH Jer

Thanks Jer I am leaning twoards having it repaired to place in a nice display. Maybee put it on the mantle, I'm sure that would ticke my wife to death

 

[ReidMan]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

Nice, don't try to clean the buckle other then a good soap and water for the lose dirt. Anythinng else will lower the value.

 

[Marc in VA]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

I see you found Roland Frodigh's Hallowed Ground Restorations at American Relic Hunters forum. That is who I was going to point you too. The man does outstanding work. He will turn that $100 plate back into a $300 plate. I am glad to hear that you are not selling that beauty. Too many times folks dig relics like yours and just because they dont collect them they feel that they have to sell them on Ebay. Ebay gives us honest relic hunters a bad name sometimes. As far as the debate on repair or not to repair goes here are my thoughts. The only reason I would not have it repaired is if it were an actual battlefield find. That would destroy the context and character of the plate. Yours looks to be plow struck. Having it repaired greatly enhances the appearance and value. If you do have it repaired make sure you post a before and after pic. People will be amazed.

Marc

 

[B|lker]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

woodspiritcarver awesome find.
1851 Union officers buckle like this one only in better shape maybe.
To bad they dont keep there silver well.
I found mine in downtown Raleigh and i`m still waiting on a quote from roland to straighten it.
Let me know if you get rid of it i`d be interested in knowing what it goes for.
Matt from cvrelics.net told me mine was worth $250 straightened.

 

[relichunters]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

You are so lucky!

 

[carpetbagger]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

I see you found Roland Frodigh's Hallowed Ground Restorations at American Relic Hunters forum. That is who I was going to point you too. The man does outstanding work. He will turn that $100 plate back into a $300 plate. I am glad to hear that you are not selling that beauty. Too many times folks dig relics like yours and just because they dont collect them they feel that they have to sell them on Ebay. Ebay gives us honest relic hunters a bad name sometimes. As far as the debate on repair or not to repair goes here are my thoughts. The only reason I would not have it repaired is if it were an actual battlefield find. That would destroy the context and character of the plate. Yours looks to be plow struck. Having it repaired greatly enhances the appearance and value. If you do have it repaired make sure you post a before and after pic. People will be amazed.
Marc

Mark you got that rite. There is no way I am going to sell that beauty. A lot of history in that plate. It is like a championship trophy.
HH
Jeff

 

[carpetbagger]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

woodspiritcarver awesome find.
1851 Union officers buckle like this one only in better shape maybe.
To bad they dont keep there silver well.
I found mine in downtown Raleigh and i`m still waiting on a quote from roland to straighten it.
Let me know if you get rid of it i`d be interested in knowing what it goes for.
Matt from cvrelics.net told me mine was worth $250 straightened.

Thanks Bl But there is no way I am going to get rid of that beauty unless it is in my will to my kids. Nice buckle you have there. The detail is great.
HH Jeff

 

[Monty]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

The upper rt. hand corner looks like a bullet or shrapnel hit it. After cleaning it up you could probably tell if there is some lead embeded on it. That would make it really interesting if it was. EXCELLENT!! Monty

 

[NGE]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

Nice plate, I am with the others about not str8tening it, it would be like finding a "war log" on a battlefield...do you remove some of the shrapnel and lead because it is too heavy to carry in your pouch? Leave it as is, the last person that wore it obviously had one heckuva belly ache.....NGE

 

[kimsdad]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

How'd I miss this post? What a fanstastic piece of history!!!! Congrats!

Please post pics of it when it's been straightened!

 

[hunterinthesky]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

Way to Go!! Straightened or not the find of a lifetime! Congrats.

 

[allen]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

awesome buckle...put it on display as it is...

 

[johnreb1980]

Re: Civil War Cavalry Sword Belt Buckle / 1824 Large Cent

Nice find,way to go.