Sabre Belt Plate 1850s - 1870s SOLVED!

celtex · Jul 6, 2010

Sabre Belt Plate 1850's - 1870s SOLVED!

Love this place my whatists are dropping like flies!

Found near the CW Navy button discussed here. Back just has a curvred prong. What is the difference between a "plate" and buckle?

kuger · Jul 6, 2010

Re: Plate or Buckle? When?

there is several of this type of plate or buckle(the same thing)Yours has the applied wreath,and looks to be of the 1851-1874 design :thumbsup:

.

vayank54 · Jul 6, 2010

Re: Plate or Buckle? When?

kuger said:
there is several of this type of plate or buckle(the same thing)Yours has the applied wreath,and looks to be of the 1851-1874 design .

Your buckle is called a sabre belt plate it was used on the sword belts used by cavalry and officers which was different from the belt that the enlisted infantry man used. Like Kuger says yours date 1850's to 70's I would lean toward the earlier dates. If your buckle has a narrow tongue on the back I think it is an earlier plate. I think they started using a wide tongue on some plates in 1864. Most of the plates with wide tongues are post civil war.

kuger · Jul 6, 2010

Re: Plate or Buckle? When?

Thanks "V",hey when did they start with the applied wreath??My quick research left me confused.I had never thought about it,as you know C.W. plates really arent my thing

vayank54 · Jul 6, 2010

Re: Plate or Buckle? When?

I'm not sure when they started using applied wreaths. I think they may have been on the first sabre belt plates made. Some civil war period plates have the wreath cast as part of the buckle. I'm not sure if this is because of the maker or what.

celtex · Jul 7, 2010

Re: Plate or Buckle? When?

vayank54 said:
I'm not sure when they started using applied wreaths. I think they may have been on the first sabre belt plates made. Some civil war period plates have the wreath cast as part of the buckle. I'm not sure if this is because of the maker or what.

Is the applied wreath silver? It sure looks like it to me. The tongue is very narrow on back. I couldn't find the missing wreath section but I sure tried LOL

Any idea on it value?

Thanks again! :icon_sunny:

vayank54 · Jul 7, 2010

Re: Sabre Belt Plate 1850's - 1870s SOLVED!

Yes yours' is the applied silver wreath. The missing pieces are seldom if ever found. I don't know if they were broken off before the plate was lost or just deteriorated over the year. You plate books for somewhere about $250.00 or $300.00

celtex · Jul 7, 2010

Re: Sabre Belt Plate 1850's - 1870s SOLVED!

vayank54 said:
Yes yours' is the applied silver wreath. The missing pieces are seldom if ever found. I don't know if they were broken off before the plate was lost or just deteriorated over the year. You plate books for somewhere about $250.00 or $300.00

Thanks again for your wealth of info and the willingness to share it!