Unknown buckle.....

[kuger]

Have never been able to find a match to this early tongue anywhere.I have searched every published book I could get a hold of!Will likely never know how in the heck it came to be in the shape its in!!!!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

First... somebody suggested the buckle is Confederate -- but, of course, no Confederate buckle had the Union's motto ("E Pluribus Unum") on it. The buckle's owner said above that it has E Pluribus Unum on its emblem. (My point is, please keep in mind for future reference, anytime a relic has E Pluribus Unum on it, it is definitely NOT a Confederate-made relic.)

Creskol has already posted most of the relevant historical information about this buckle, but its owner, Kuger, sent me a Private Message asking me to comment about it. So, I spent about an hour researching it, with the following result to add to what Creskol said.
1- It is a state or local Militia buckle, not US Army issue, because on a 2-piece (meaning, "tongue-&-wreath" type) buckle the presence of stars around the eagle is contrary to US Army Regulations of that era.
2- According to the book "American Military Belt Plates" (pages 92-94), the presence of the Union motto "E Pluribus Unum" with the stars moved to below the eagle date it the mid-to-late 1830s into the 1840s.

 

[kuger]

Thanks CBG!!!!! OK,anybody venture a guess on how it ended up in a "U"?!!!

 

[Subterranean]

Hi Kuger, That is just a beautiful find, congrats. I will take you up on the "U" question. If the mating "wreath" portion of this buckle lost its wreath, it would leave just the rectangular slot part still attached to the end of the leather belt. The owner may have needed this belt to still perform its original job. That "U" bend does not look to be traumatic, i.e. struck by a plow blade, bullet, etc...but more deliberately bent by hand. Theoretically, the owner could then hook that bent tongue into the rectangular slot to still wear the belt! Too far fetched? Sub

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Perhaps it was dug in a field ...which includes a former farm-field that has been allowed to "go back to nature" and become a forest. When a metal relic is down in "hard" dirt which recieves a plow push, it can get strangely bent, into shapes that mere human hand-strength is incapable of doing.

Edit: Subterranean and I were typing our replies at the same time. I didn't see his until after I posted mine.

 

[kuger]

Great theory...we encounter field repairs quite often with two piece buckles,and I should also clarify that this was found on remote STEEP hillside,no chance of farm plow damage