Jackpot!!!!

[RKinOI]

Man I wish I could have dug these. My wifes uncle found these in a shoebox in the attic. His father dug these in Kinston N. C. a long time ago. Theres no question for me that they are real. What should I do and how do I authenticate them? These are just a few of the relics. I have a lot more

 

[Ryanneas]

Because the original pattern from the reproduction was made from an original two-piece plate. The reproduction is likely cast brass, i.e., the tongue will be one piece, whereas the orginal tongue consisted of a stamped brass/copper disc soldered onto the tongue bar. I have a belt with a repro two-piece Virginia with that backmark made by Hanover Brass, who copied the original from the Museum of the Confederacy.

There is no question that all of the plates are fakes. The CS oval fake is laughable with the bogus lead filled, arrow hooks back. The best thing that could happen to those plates with bogus patinas is to throw them all away so that someone in the future does not buy one, believing it is an original.

Good luck digging.

One more comment and a question for the "experts" out there:

One of them is clearly marked J.S. Smith & Sons, New York. James S. Smith made belt plates prior to and during the war.

Question: Would repros or "fakes" have a genuine makers stamp on it, where they even allowed to?

 

[Tnmountains]

I'm praying for ya on this one. I say take it to a professional that can put his hands on them and tell you the truth. Too many lounge chair experts on the internet.
Good luck
HH
TnMtns

 

[Iron Patch]

Awsome and I agree with IronPatch on this
Fantastic if all legit and big $$$$
Very nice to find em all stashed away as well

Iron Patch posted on condition they were real, as the poster said he was sure they were. Now it doesn't look so good, and after looking at the color I begin to question them even before the experts got a look. Too bad, would have been a great story.

 

[RKinOI]

No kidding, These girls know about as much as me. (nothing)

 

[Silver Searcher]

I know zero about CW plates, but I do know that no one can 100% authenticate or dismiss if a piece is real from a high quality digital photo, much less a cell phone photo. I have tried to enlarge the photos that were provided on this thread and they get way to pixelated to see anything. There has been and still are several discussions concerning the authenticity of items here on TNET that have only been viewed in photos. I really feel it is a little premature for anybody to be calling them fake. RKinOI, don't let anyone rain on your parade until you have them professionally looked at.

Well Said

SS

 

[BioProfessor]

Just a word about patina. Here is a real buckle with the as found patina beside a repro. Just some info.

Daryl

 

[Silver Searcher]

Awsome and I agree with IronPatch on this
Fantastic if all legit and big $$$$
Very nice to find em all stashed away as well

Iron Patch posted on condition they were real, as the poster said he was sure they were. Now it doesn't look so good, and after looking at the color I begin to question them even before the experts got a look. Too bad, would have been a great story.

IP... could the colour, be to the fact they are very dry and have had no protector applied

SS

 

[Iron Patch]

Awsome and I agree with IronPatch on this
Fantastic if all legit and big $$$$
Very nice to find em all stashed away as well

Iron Patch posted on condition they were real, as the poster said he was sure they were. Now it doesn't look so good, and after looking at the color I begin to question them even before the experts got a look. Too bad, would have been a great story.

IP... could the colour, be to the fact they are very dry and have had no protector applied

SS

Almost every dug relic with green patina I have ever found has not been sealed in any way and none have changed to that color, nor would I expect them to. I do believe it is possible to dig a relic with that color, but there would have to be something different about the soil. Usually that color says bad news.

 

[Silver Searcher]

Awsome and I agree with IronPatch on this
Fantastic if all legit and big $$$$
Very nice to find em all stashed away as well

Iron Patch posted on condition they were real, as the poster said he was sure they were. Now it doesn't look so good, and after looking at the color I begin to question them even before the experts got a look. Too bad, would have been a great story.

IP... could the colour, be to the fact they are very dry and have had no protector applied

SS

Almost every dug relic with green patina I have ever found has not been sealed in any way and none have changed to that color, nor would I expect them to. I do believe it is possible to dig a relic with that color, but there would have to be something different about the soil. Usually that color says bad news.

They just looked like they had been cleaned with water, then just left to dry out also it just seems like the last pictures posted, look as though they show signs of wear

SS

 

[jrsherman]

I guess I'd still be happy to pay a few bucks for a nice looker. If I bought one of these I'd probably just buy a stamp set and stamp FAKE into it. I don't know what to say at this point. It looked like an awesome find, I'm sorry that there has been so much hostility(whether or not it wants to be admitted) entered into it since I first saw it this morning.

I guess I'm confused about it being different for us to waste "endless hours at the computer" on an exciting post vs. wasting the same amount on an unexciting post. . .maybe I should stop learning about the relics I've learned about through forums, and only trust books? While I spend and have spent a lot of money on detectors, buying every $50-100 relic ID book adds up pretty fast too. . .

I'm going to hold my position either way. RK, congrats on an awesome find, even if they are fake/repro. If I found a buried box full of plates, or if I found it in the attic, I'd still crap myself and probably post the same way. I have dug exactly 0 plates, and I don't have a plate book yet, so I'm sorry if I couldn't see the pictures well enough for my earlier post to say what I said. All I knew at that point was it looked awesome, and I know a crapload of relics have came out of Kinston, and are still there.

I guess I made it worse when I pointed this out on another forum, and became, as someone over there mentioned, one of the people that no nothing of relics. I guess I just appreciate things too much when I see them come to light, and not enough when I'm having a rough day.

Good luck and happy hunting, and I at least will say I'm sorry if you encounter a lot of pain for posting a neat find.

Josh Sherman

 

[VB Sanddigger]

JOSH....

Don't be so hard on yourself!!! See you Saturday!

 

[Iron Patch]

Awsome and I agree with IronPatch on this
Fantastic if all legit and big $$$$
Very nice to find em all stashed away as well

Iron Patch posted on condition they were real, as the poster said he was sure they were. Now it doesn't look so good, and after looking at the color I begin to question them even before the experts got a look. Too bad, would have been a great story.

IP... could the colour, be to the fact they are very dry and have had no protector applied

SS

Almost every dug relic with green patina I have ever found has not been sealed in any way and none have changed to that color, nor would I expect them to. I do believe it is possible to dig a relic with that color, but there would have to be something different about the soil. Usually that color says bad news.

They just looked like they had been cleaned with water, then just left to dry out also it just seems like the last pictures posted, look as though they show signs of wear

SS

An authentic early dug relic cleaned with chemical could leave that color, probably not just water.

 

[nova treasure]

I haven't jumped on this with to much excitement, because I know with the rarity it is very hard to believe. But I do Hope that with all of your Items that something will be Authenticated and it will be one of the best finds showed this Year.

Nova Treasure

 

[usmc0351]

Because the original pattern from the reproduction was made from an original two-piece plate. The reproduction is likely cast brass, i.e., the tongue will be one piece, whereas the orginal tongue consisted of a stamped brass/copper disc soldered onto the tongue bar. I have a belt with a repro two-piece Virginia with that backmark made by Hanover Brass, who copied the original from the Museum of the Confederacy.

There is no question that all of the plates are fakes. The CS oval fake is laughable with the bogus lead filled, arrow hooks back. The best thing that could happen to those plates with bogus patinas is to throw them all away so that someone in the future does not buy one, believing it is an original.

Good luck digging.

One more comment and a question for the "experts" out there: i wont explain the history here of j. smith and sons, i let someone else do their own homework, the lead filled cs oval couldnt be more a fake, the proof is in the picture,,,,,,,and just as i figured the pictures are blurred but bigger, and of course the ever present grind marks,,,,,at least the good people at handover brass got some free plugs today and va. shoulder plate,,,,its not even a respectable fake.

One of them is clearly marked J.S. Smith & Sons, New York. James S. Smith made belt plates prior to and during the war.

Question: Would repros or "fakes" have a genuine makers stamp on it, where they even allowed to?

 

[MonkeyBoy]

Dang, Jarhead ease up you are going to bust a vessel. No he did not give them to me. He sent pics to me because he knows I like to detect and I'm always harping about C.W. stuff. All Jarhead does is bump his gums about something he knows nothing about. When I get home from work I will post better pics of the back of them all. If I am wrong then I apologize but If they are real then Jarhead might catch a hard time. Ease up dude. I do not stand to make anything from these relics. I just posted them for an uncle. If there not real then they wont be on ebay they will probably be back in the attic. Stop jumping to conclusions JARHEAD>

What does the fact he was a Marine have to do with it? There are plenty of "Jarheads" here.. has nothing to do with if the plates are real or not..

MB

 

[Bill Battle]

Don't need decent pictures to make a call on those plates: fakes and reproductions, all of them. For those stamped with back-marks, no markings like these were ever used on genuine plates. You can question the credentials of any poster on here saying the plates are fake, but that doesn't change the fact that they are. Being a betting man, I will be more than anxious to put up some serious dough for anyone interested in pursuing same, using the Civil War expert on the Antiques Roadshow as the evaluator.

 

[BuckleBoy]

I find it Very curious that a FLOCK of new members have made this topic their first post on TreasureNet just to say that these plates are fakes.

 

[BioProfessor]

This thread is a LURKER MAGNET.

Daryl

 

[usmc0351]

Plates And Buckles Of The American Military 1795-1874 - Sydney C. Kerksis

Confederate General Service Accoutrement Plates - Dr. Lon W. Keim

Accoutrement Plates North and South 1861 - 1865 - William Gavin

Confederate Belt Buckles And Plates - Steve E. Mullinax

American Military Belt Plates - Michael J. O'Donnel & J. Duncan Campbell

any question that anyone could ever have concerning cs plates and buckles can be found in books listed above. mullinax's expanded version can still be found for less than forty bucks and if you are interested in cs plates, thats the book to get.

 

[Bill Battle]

I find it Very curious that a FLOCK of new members have made this topic their first post on TreasureNet just to say that these plates are fakes.

Word gets around if someone comes across a cache of ultra, ultra-rare CS plates. If you think it's some conspiracy to cast doubt on some legitimate plates, so be it. You are welcome to take my bet.