Stirrup

jhamner · Dec 22, 2015

I found this old brass stirrup today in some woods that have produced CW buttons, but I'm not sure of it's age--can anyone help me? Thanks!

basque-man · Dec 22, 2015

Looks good to me!!! It is an old one for sure. We had found one similar at a camp site out our way many years ago. Sad thing is we didn't know what it was and threw it back into some sagebrush! :BangHead:

Now knowing what it was and it's age' we can't find it! Someone should be able to give ya a date. I'm thinking late 1800's, but that's just a guess.

Trezurehunter · Dec 22, 2015

Cant help on the age, but it is a real nice find.

trapperart · Dec 22, 2015

Nice find for sure congrats

jhamner · Dec 22, 2015

basque-man said:
Looks good to me!!! It is an old one for sure. We had found one similar at a camp site out our way many years ago. Sad thing is we didn't know what it was and threw it back into some sagebrush! Now knowing what it was and it's age' we can't find it! Someone should be able to give ya a date. I'm thinking late 1800's, but that's just a guess.

Thanks so much for looking and the information!

jhamner · Dec 22, 2015

Trezurehunter said:
Cant help on the age, but it is a real nice find.

Thank you!

jhamner · Dec 22, 2015

trapperart said:
Nice find for sure congrats

Thanks, trapperart!

sutphin · Dec 23, 2015

DANG THING LOOKS BRAND NEW , WELL PRESERVED .

jhamner · Dec 23, 2015

sutphin said:
DANG THING LOOKS BRAND NEW , WELL PRESERVED .

Yes--it was buried down in some woods soil-no fertilizer to eat away at it! Whenever this heavy rain stops, I'm going back and try and find the other one. Thanks!

CreakyKnees · Dec 23, 2015

It looks like a design that was in use in various forms from the American revolution through the Civil War. Is there any detail to the roundrels on either side? I've seen a lot that have eagles or military seals in high relief cast onto them. I don't know your location (state), but if you found this in an area where you've dug CW artifacts, it's possible that it could be an inexpensive (brass) CSA stirrup of quasi-military design. Also, are there any seams that might make it look like it was cast? Either way, awesome find!

jhamner · Dec 23, 2015

CreakyKnees said:
It looks like a design that was in use in various forms from the American revolution through the Civil War. Is there any detail to the roundrels on either side? I've seen a lot that have eagles or military seals in high relief cast onto them. I don't know your location (state), but if you found this in an area where you've dug CW artifacts, it's possible that it could be an inexpensive (brass) CSA stirrup of quasi-military design. Also, are there any seams that might make it look like it was cast? Either way, awesome find!

Thanks so much for this very useful information! I can find no seams at all. In fact, each side looks a little different from the other like they were hand finished. The medallions and parts just below them are almost sharp on the edges. I, too, thought Militia Officer's stirrup when I first dug it--wondered if it ever had rosettes attached where these medallion shapes are. Thanks for the info.!
P.S. Location is central Virginia. Other items found near this stirrup--North Carolina seal with plain back and star in channel, several Robinson V.M.I. buttons, a Confederate wreath, a Georgia button, etc.

stefen · Dec 23, 2015

jhamner said:
Yes--it was buried down in some woods soil-no fertilizer to eat away at it! Whenever this heavy rain stops, I'm going back and try and find the other one. Thanks!

Certainly not US army issue used on MacClelland saddles....

Looks to be Hession or Polish made...

jhamner · Dec 24, 2015

stefen said:
Certainly not US army issue used on MacClelland saddles....

Looks to be Hession or Polish made...

Thanks for your comments, stefen. I will definitely pursue your leads!

treblehunter · Dec 24, 2015

That baby is sweet, nice find.

CreakyKnees · Dec 24, 2015

You have an awesome find there. I've been researching period stirrups in North America, and there are a couple of similar items for sale on eBay and antiques for sale sites (yeah, I'm a research geek). I'm just guessing when I wonder if it was cast (sand cast and then likely filed and polished), but if it was cast, it's possible that due to the quality (even after 100+ years in the ground) it would very likely have been an officer's stirrup. Unless it was made or sold to a person of means other that an officer. I dug up a couple of example pictures to post for you to look at. Apparently, it was common to put a leather plug on the gap on the tread area where the bottom of the foot goes. Even in the very beginning of the industrial age (late 1700s to late 1800s in my humble opinion), handmade metal furnishings such your stirrup account for the variations of equipment used in the Civil War. Officers generally were required to purchase their own equipment and uniforms, and had leeway to purchase whatever they saw fit. I can see that there would be variations of equipment issued to Confederate enlisted cavalry as the Confederacy was a grassroots ad-hoc government. Anyway, enough of my windbaggery.