Civil war find?

[21myers]

Found in newburg, PA. Looks like part of a US belt buckle from the civil war. Seems like its been shot at right in the middle. Any ideas?



This is an actual one from the civil war. Very similar.

 

[OWK]

Looks like part of a US belt buckle from the civil war. Seems like its been shot at right in the middle.

 

[Mud Hut]

What does the back look like?

 

[jewelerguy]

cool. now go back and find the other half

 

[21myers]

Heres the back

 

[dirtlooter]

cool, ain't no telling what happened to it but it is pretty cool

 

[Fullstock]

It's half of a cartridge box plate from the Civil War, nice find!

 

[collector01]

Nice find! I'd hit that spot hard.

 

[parsonwalker]

Well done!

 

[bootybandit]

Nice find! I'll bet there's more

 

[Tnmountains]

Great relic to dig. Welcome to T-Net 21myers.Looks like the back was lead filled?

 

[RobRieman]

Doesn't really look shot but it's a half a buckle for sure. Nice one! The other half is probably close by.

 

[Steve in PA]

Nice find. Don't see any hooks on the back so it's probably a cartridge box plate rather than a belt plate. What else did you find in the area?

 

[diggervet]

very nice find, go back to that spot!!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Tnmountains wrote:
> Looks like the back was lead filled?

Answer:
Although relic-diggers commonly say "lead filled," in actuality the filler metal in civil war era cartridge-box plates, breastplates, and buckles was solder (a lead/tin/zinc alloy). That is why you don't see the typical white "Mine-ball" lead-oxide patina on the filler metal in those plates and buckles.

Fullstock and Steve in PA are correct, the back of 21myers' find shows a U-shaped wire loop for attaching it to the leather, which means it is definitely a soldier's cartridge-box plate ("boxplate"), not a belt buckle.

Also... in my 40 years as a relic-digger and nearly that long as a dealer, I've personally examined many genuine bullet-struck buckles and plates. THAT kind of impact damage has a distinctive shape... which unfortunately, is not seen on 21myers' cartridge-box plate. It's just broken in half, not bullet-shot.

21myers, the other relic-diggers here are right, there's close to a 100% chance that there's many more civil war Military relics at the spot where you found that broken US Oval cartridge-box plate. Please hunt that area closely... and post photos of anything you cannot identify in T-Net's "What Is It?" forum. We'll help you learn which objects are civil war Military, or are Civilian-usage, and their time-period.