Maybe sling buckle

stillrollin300 · Oct 9, 2013

I'm not really sure haven't seen one like this before.

Erving · Oct 9, 2013

Looks like part of a shoe buckle.

kuger · Oct 9, 2013

yep,shoe buckle tongue

CC Hunter · Oct 9, 2013

stillrollin300,

You find is the center portion of a Colonial American Era shoe buckle, known as a chape. Knee buckles of the period, though smaller, also have a similar design, often with a pivoting chape. The shoe buckles of the later 1600's and early 1700's, are quite small. By the mid to late 1700's, shoe buckles of large size became the fashion.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/my-best-finds/210667-colonial-shoe-buckle-chape-theme.html

CC Hunter

kuger · Oct 9, 2013

kuger said:
yep,shoe buckle tongue

LOL!I initially called it a chape,and second guessed myself...I dont know jack about Colonial artifacts!!Great find!

stillrollin300 · Oct 9, 2013

Thanks guys, this is very exciting as I may be getting close to the old county court house that burned down in the late 1700's before being moved

HutSiteDigger · Oct 9, 2013

stillrollin300 said:
Thanks guys, this is very exciting as I may be getting close to the old county court house that burned down in the late 1700's before being moved

Have you tried going down to the library or historical society and seeing if you can pull up insurance maps? most insurance maps give basically the exact location, though it may take a few hours or days to actually pin-point it but - it should be accurate. I am sure there is information somewhere regarding that old court house building in your county.. Also, see if they have micro-films for that time period, here in Fredericksburg/Stafford are Micro-films (newspapers) go back to the 1760s and provide pretty good info when researching something.. Another key note is looking for an old stream or creek, most buildings were built near a creek or stream/water way... If the court house burned down, when you dig test holes in the area you will see piles of ash. Here in Stafford i hunt next to where the 2nd courthouse was located which burnt down in 1780s, it has been hunted very hard over the years and it was where my dad found a pretty good cellar hole back in the 1980s, there was tons of ash in the soil, i have dug plenty of test holes in that area and lots of ash/pottery and broken glass.. Good luck, just some advice that may or may not help...