Silver Shield

[cairo digger]

I found this shield looking pieces in a Confederate camp in Orange county Virginia.It has nothing engraved on it.The tip has been broke,that would make you thank it has another piece to it.It is silver...

 

[deepsecrets]

Might have come from a civil war era pocket diary although it is a little bigger than others I've seen.

 

[cairo digger]

Its got three holes where it was attached to something.

 

[BosnMate]

it could have been a decorative thumb piece on the wrist of on an early rifle. These were usually coin silver, and were common on Kentucky Long Rifles.
This is a round one with no decoration. The shield was also used among other things, depending on the skill of the builder. Some were engraved, and others weren't, again depending on the engraving skills of the builder.
Here are a couple of more pictures showing the thumb piece location, and the close up shows some really quality engraving. This was not always the case. I have an original long rifle without any signature or engraving on it, and it has a plain oval coin silver thumb piece.

 

[SCDigginWithAK]

Possibly a saddle shield?

 

[BosnMate]

Possibly a saddle shield?

Yes, that also. Although silver wouldn't be all that common for a saddle. There were many brass shields on saddles however.

 

[cairo digger]

Relic Bob looked at it when i found it,and he said he did'nt thank it was a saddle shield.He was thinking piece to a gun.I dont know how most shields were attached to the gun.This has three nail holes or four where its broken.

 

[BosnMate]

Relic Bob looked at it when i found it,and he said he did'nt thank it was a saddle shield.He was thinking piece to a gun.I dont know how most shields were attached to the gun.This has three nail holes or four where its broken.

Those type of decorations were nailed on. In those days all screws were hand made, one at a time, so small items like inlay decorations were nailed on. On an original antique gun you will find no glue either. Some people will try and pass off a modern reproduction gun as an antique, and if they don't know what they are doing, the use of screws will be a dead giveaway. Also, in antique guns, there were no brass screws, all screws used in original antique guns were iron, as well as pins and nails were iron. So the brass patch box on the stock was attached using iron screws, and the brass or silver decorative inlays were nailed on. Ramrod pipes, entry thimble and the barrel were held in place with iron pins.