Help identifying buckle (colonial?)

FindingHistory1

Greenie
May 30, 2018
15
15
PA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800, Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Found this buckle a couple of days ago at a site where I've found coins and artifacts ranging in time from George II halfpennies and blow hole buttons up to 1865 Indian Head cents. The majority of my finds have been late 1700s-early 1800s flat buttons, also including a Legion of the United States button from one of Gen. Anthony Wayne's soldiers in the 1790s, and there is a written record of somewhere in the vicinity a tavern that was open during the War of 1812. Any help IDing what kind of buckle this is would be appreciated. I apologize if this is not colonial, but just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas.

Not sure of the composition; I believe this to be some type of mainly copper alloy due to the green coloration; rings up a steady 79 on AT Pro in air test. As you can see from the photos, there's some underlying purplish-gray oxidized metal so don't know if maybe there's some pewter or something mixed in it as well. It's fairly thin and pliable, about 3/4 as thick as a modern-day Lincoln cent (not that I tried to bend it) and I didn't measure its dimensions well but maybe 2.5" X 2". The back has posts for the pin that unfortunately were broken off as found, looks like they were probably soldered on much like the soldering you might see around a shank on a flat button. Looks like some probable silver wash on the back at 4:00, 5:30, 7:00 and 11:00 and a little on the decorative element on the front at 1:00 but it didn't show up in the picture. Interesting "fancy" on the front and "pebbling" texture in the background on the front. I don't know whether this was stamped or cast. I'm not getting the vibe that this was some kind of a brooch or held a daguerrotype photo or something like that, and instead I'm thinking it was a light-gauge clothing buckle of some sort, maybe a woman's, but I could be wrong.

Thanks in advance for any input you might have! image2 copy.jpeg image1.jpeg image0.jpeg
 

gunsil

Silver Member
Dec 27, 2012
3,864
6,207
lower hudson valley, N.Y.
Detector(s) used
safari, ATPro, infinium, old Garrett BFO, Excal, Nox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Looks like brass and looks like a late Victorian or Edwardian small sash buckle. Cool find!!
 

OP
OP
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FindingHistory1

Greenie
May 30, 2018
15
15
PA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800, Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Thanks so much, gunsil! I think you are correct - after doing some research last night, the brackets that would've held the pin don't seem like anything colonial to me, and I also now think that the brass is stamped out rather than cast, dating it a good bit later. Makes sense that this would be a good bit later than Colonial. You're right, though, it is pretty cool even though I would've preferred it to be a Colonial find!
 

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