✅ SOLVED Is this a shoe buckle?

[Folsom1]

Hey guys let me know what you think about age/ use ( belt or shoe). Found in coastal VA, thanks.

 

[coinman123]

Yes it is! What you have is a mid-late 1700's shoe buckle, congrats on your great colonial find. Also, It is amazing you found a complete frame, most of the ones I find are broken.

The small "hole" that through the middle of the long side of the buckle is a hole for the pin which had the mechanism, it appears that you only found the frame, have never found one with a mechanism, I'm confused to why, maybe the reason the buckle is lost is because the mechanism breaks and is left on the shoe, and the frame is lost.



Coinman123,

 

[ARC]

Nice find.

 

[Folsom1]

Thanks coinman, Very happy to hear that this is something that dates to that time period, I agree with your theory on the middle bits ( is chape the correct terminology?)

 

[leddel]

I agree with Coinman on the time period , its a nice frame . there are many reasons
the pin (or in most cases its a wire) can fail , constant wear an tear , the pins are usually
iron and rust away or the whole buckle goes out of style and gets discarded.

and the correct names are chape and tongue for the inside moving parts