Need Help Identifying an Unknown Belt Plate

[paleomaxx]

Dug this up today and I'm pretty excited about it. Clearly a belt plate, but I've been having trouble identifying it further:



No markings on either side apart from the Maltese cross. It's brass with a very thick silver plating. Definitely cast as opposed to stamped and the loop and tongue are quite robust.



I found it in a yard along with relics spanning the 1780's up to present day. Online I found a few masonic sword belt plates with Maltese crosses, but nothing particularly close to this so I'm not certain that's it. It does appear to be 19th century though; foreign military perhaps?

 

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[Retired Sarge]

Your guess is as good as mine.

I've looked under Malta Cross, Maltese Cross, Templar Cross, Masonic Cross, and even Motorcycle Cross. While I found examples under all, I didn't find an exact match.

 

[Gene Mean]

Very nice find! I found similar in Nordic and Celtic cross searches online. Good luck.

 

[tamrock]

Might be the Order of Saint John. Another fraternal order of Good Deed Doers who advocate the health and well being of people anywhere in the world.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Saint_John_(chartered_1888)

 

[smokeythecat]

I have seen similar ones - the context the ones I saw were late 19th century to early 20th century.