Thanks BCH.Well young man,as said you are correct in that it is part of a two piece buckle or Tongue and Wreath.This type of buckle was used from the early 1800's,largely military, and gained great popularity during the California Gold Rush by civilians .There were buckles that were made just for the G.R.,manufactured in New York,then in San Francisco.There were also examples from the gold fields of Australia and that countries Gold Rush. The style seemed to fade in the civilian sector toward the late 1800's,and as the Civil War began they were issued to military personel.Examples have been found on the battlefields that could be traced back to the Calif.Gold rush presumably worn by a soldier that had been to Calif.to search his fortune then went to fight the cause.Tongue and Wreath buckles were also used by the Japanese during WW2.After that there use and manufacture was scarce.There is a lot still to be learned about them and there origins and for that reason I am open to any further evidence of anything different,and why they are my scope of all my metal detecting.
