Found at an old home site from 18th century

[BioProfessor]

I found this yesterday at a house site that was occupied from mid 18th Century until the owners burned it as the Union troops took over the island in 1861. We are less than 30 miles from Charleston, SC and most creeks and rivers lead to Charleston so it was easy to take the island over. So the island was deserted and most houses burned so the Union troops could not use them. Some Plantation houses survived and are filed with graffiti from the solders.

This item is thin brass with the 2 pieces riveted together. I first thought it was the end of a leather strap but the brass pieces are very close together. Too close to push in a piece if leather is the thickness of a belt. So I'm sort of stumped.

Any ideas of age and usage would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Daryl

 

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[DCMatt]

With the size and the fact that there is no sign of wear on the edges, I'm guessing this was a decorative piece attached to the end of a leather strap. It was possibly attached using the holes on the back side. Although it looks like someone went through a lot of engineering to make it and then designed such a poor method of attaching it.

DCMatt

 

[johnnyblaze]

Maybe some kind of shoe plate
More for the front of a colonial shoe?


Blaze..

 

[BioProfessor]

Could be a strap end but the two pieces of brass are so close together, the only thing I can think of that would fit in would be a thin knife blade. I noticed also that the two holes on one side is typical (?) of a scabbard end.



Daryl

 

[Daedalus]

I think it looks like a sheath tip for a bayonet !
Just my guess though.

 

[Noodle]

I'm with Dae.... Looks like something to protect the end of a knife or bayonet. Don't have an idea of how it would have worked, but it looks field/homemade. We don't know what all those guys did to protect themselves and their weapons. Am still open to other suggestions....

 

[BioProfessor]

That is what my first thought was. I don't think it was a US issued scabbard for use during the Civil War. My thoughts are that is may either be a Confederate soldier made one (I'm 30 miles for Charleston, SC so they were both here) or it is older and fits with the time frame of the 1783 Spanish 1/2 Reale found a few yards away.

Gotta love the old plantations.

Daryl