Unidentified Buckle

[LuckOfTheIrish]

Hey TNET,

It's been a while since my last post due to the fact that I haven't had too many chances to get out digging. But I came back with a mystery for us to all figure out. Recently I was out digging a house that I believe pre-dates the civil war when I found this buckle. The buckle appears to be cast brass with the letters "NYZ" engraved or carved into the face of the plate (Unsure of the method that the NYZ was added to the brass). The letters appear to have a black coloration in them that could possibly be black enameling (I have seen this done to other military plates and buttons and etc). The back has both an applied hook and bar (both appear to be brass as well). I may have nicked the bar just a little when digging the hole.

At the site I found mostly house items however I did recover a small handful (4 or 5) of civil war bullets/musketballs scattered about the property. There really wasn't anything else that would help me identify this one. Due to the proximity of this house to a high volume of civil war traffic that time period was my first guess... but I could not find an example of this buckle anywhere. My first theory was that the NYZ stood for New York Zouaves. If that were the case this would have been an item purchased from a sutler early in the civil war. But who knows haha... or how far off my guess is?!

I was hoping someone online here could help me. Thanks in advance.

Luck of the Irish

 

[ikesdad]

New York Zouaves would be my guess.
I would not think a sutler item as many of the Zouave regiments that used a belt buckle, had some design of their own .... at least earlier. I think eventually settling on the US oval later.

 

[tokens70]

This buckle from what I can tell, looks CW period, with clipped corners, or maybe even 1850's. I don't know much about the Zouaves regiments, but to me, I can't think of a whole lot of other things those initials could stand for Whatever the case...superb find

 

[diggummup]

This buckle from what I can tell, looks CW period, with clipped corners, or maybe even 1850's. I don't know much about the Zouaves regiments, but to me, I can't think of a whole lot of other things those initials could stand for Whatever the case...superb find

I agree, I can't think of much anyone else this buckle could be for either with those initials.

I'd say that's a nice rare find and it's in great shape too! Congrats.

ps- I wonder what that square looking indentation on the back below the hook is all about?
Though I think most clipped corner buckles were produced earlier in the war (?), is it possible this could be a veteran's item that was made shortly after the war? Thoughts? Just thinking out loud.