✅ SOLVED Sash Buckle?

[sorahc]

I have dug a few pieces similar to this and I can't quite figure out exactly what they are. This one I dug squarely in the middle of a CS camp where I found South Carolina and Virginia buttons as well as a CS officer's local button. To me it looks like a sash buckle. Anyone have any definitive info on it?

 

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[kuger]

Not actually a "Buckle",but the third part od a two piece buckle rig.......its a "tightner",or "Slack adjuster",or "keeper",likely for a fancy Sash type two piece

 

[sorahc]

Thanks for the response, kuger. Is it CW period or earlier? Also, do you, or does anyone else have a photo of the other pieces? I get what you're saying but it would help to see how the three pieces work together.

 

[kuger]

You bet.It could be Pre C.W. and later....there is an infinate amount of Fancy stamped brass "ladies",type two piece buckles(we find a great many in camps we know were not being worn by women)I do have pictures of similar keepers,and looked real quick to see if I could find a good picture of the full rig,but I have to go read to my daughter....if you were to Pm member CC hunter on here and ask....if he doesnt see this first,he has some fantastic images of some of this typ of buckle in use and is the Authority on them as well

 

[sorahc]

Oh, and the more important question is if it's military or civilian?

 

[sorahc]

Awesome! Thanks again, kuger. My second question I posted before I saw your response. Read a good story, sir!

 

[CC Hunter]

sorahc,

Kuger is providing some great clues to your item. We often see similar stamped brass items, (though without this type of fancy decoration), with two long rectangular punched slots. These were the adjustment slides on 19th Century belts, to take up slack thereby creating a tight fit. In recent years, diggers and collectors have come to refer to these as belt "keepers" or "adjusters". From researching period advertisements of the era, I've noted they were actually known then as belt "slides".

The style such as you have here, with three punched rectangular slot openings, is not seen as frequently. These may have actually been worn as an adjustment slide on a Victorian era belt, or even in fact serving as the entire buckle for a fancy women's belt (one end of the belt sewn into this, and the other slack end threaded through and cinched tightly. The time frame likely dates to the 1860's, and maybe a decade or two later. My impression is that these are most likely women's civilian items.

My collection of 19th Century images, original daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and ferrotypes, featuring women and children wearing belts and buckles, is quite extensive. I do not recall seeing a match to the style you have here though, in my photo collection. A couple images are included below to show examples of 19th Century belts, along with the adjustment slide.

CC Hunter

 

[sorahc]

CC, your images and knowledge are impressive. And everything you're saying sounds exactly right. Even the standard issue US belts had adjusters. So it's safe to assume that belts both military and civilian before and after the civil war would have followed suit. Some of the adjusters I've dug look very similar to the ones in your images. I probably have a jewelers item that is less common but served the same purpose. I believe we can mark this thread solved. Thank you, sir.

 

[CC Hunter]

My hunch was this decorative brass item was likely used solely as a buckle device, since there are three rectangular slots. Took a lot of searching, yet I finally found a perfect match. The image in early photographs is actually reversed, so we see a mirror-like rendering. Note the shape of the "buckle" is this 19th Century tinted image.

CC Hunter

 

[kuger]

...Told ya Mr. CC was something else!!!Bravo my friend!I swore I had a "three slot",in my collection,but alas....if I do,I cant find it!

 

[CC Hunter]

...Told ya Mr. CC was something else!!!Bravo my friend!I swore I had a "three slot",in my collection,but alas....if I do,I cant find it!

Thanks Kuger!

I was really surprised to find an actual period image of this style of buckle!

Here is a zoom & reverse on the image. Note an exact match to the unusual shape detail on the original posted buckle find.

At this point I should consider we might not be seeing a precise match, as it is only a guess as to size reference on the buckle in question, compared to the period image.

CC Hunter

 

[kuger]

well.....I found an image of mine and its not a three slotter

Bravo CC,only you could have done that!!

 

[CC Hunter]

That is a very unusual belt slide there! Thanks for posting the photo Kuger.

The style of outline on your item is very similar to the detail on the three slot stamped brass piece. Since your example has two slots, the likely use was a slide adjuster on a woven cloth or elastic cloth waist belt. It appears as though the double slot belt slide you have, is adorned with 6 (three at each end) hand stamped or punched star designs. We should compare the size and shape of these stars (if indeed they are such), with the stamped star detail seen on several T&W buckles.

Attached is another great image from the 19th Century, showing a cloth belt with a stamped slide for adjustment. On a further note, I will address that through exhaustive research for over a decade, and reading through countless original documents, directories, advertisements, etc., myself and associates have never once found any reference to the word "sash" used in relation to fashionable clothing adorned with buckles. All of the period references have been found to use the term Belts, even when describing women's and children's fancy cloth accessories.

CC Hunter

 

[sorahc]

CC Hunter and kuger, you guys have left me speechless. Thank you both for the information on the artifact. Of course, all of this raises as many questions as it answers. Can you imagine a CS soldier wearing such a thing? There was literally nothing other than CS artifacts where I dug it. Must have been quite a get up for a soldier. Unless, of course, one of the soldier's wives or children or both came to visit the camp. Nobody will ever know. But it makes the piece all the more interesting.

 

[kuger]

Things were different back then.If you look at period images.......especially young children,it can be difficult to pick gender by the clothing worn.I surmise there was not the "judgement",as strict as now?Where we find a number of this type of buckle we are quite sure...they were being worn by men....nearly positive.As far as woman in a Military type camp,I am sure that could be very well possible,as you know,nothing stands in between two in love....or who knows...possibly a lady of the night?

 

[kuger]

A buddy dug an exact match to your buckle today...wante to bring it to the top so can find it later

 

[sorahc]

Awesome, kuger. Was it in a Civil War site? Or house site?

 

[kuger]

Awesome, kuger. Was it in a Civil War site? Or house site?

In a town that burned in 1864,and was never rebuilt

 

[caprock]

Burned in 1864 ? Sounds like a certain Junction in a certain Gulch.