US cavalry belt plate. In Wisconsin?

[Knight451]

Headed out this morning to check out a park that we went to yesterday for my sons soccer game. Couple of baseball diamonds and older playground equipment and I thought it looked promising. On my way there I happened to drive past a park that I have been eying up for a while and decided to stop. The park used to have a stage stop on it according to the sign and was a farm in the early 1900's. I wasn't working a pattern just kind of meandering around and got a broken quarter signal at about three inches. Opened the hole and pulled a square nail at 3 inches, poked around with the pin-pointer and got another signal to the side of the hole that turned out to be larger nail at about 5 inches. Kept poking around and got a faint signal with the pin-pointer straight down at the bottom of the hole and just slightly off to the side. After digging around for a bit I pried out what appeared to be a flat lead oval until I turned it over. I think I may have just found my first US cavalry belt plate!!! In Wisconsin, no less. I was shocked. I just sat there for about 10 minutes saying "No way" over and over again. It appears to be the real deal but I would love to have someone with a bit more knowledge confirm it for me. I had to call it early due to rain but I WILL be back to that park soon. Thanks for looking.

I posted this on another forum but I am looking for someone to give me their input on whether this is legit and the approximate age if possible. The back appears to be lead filled but the "paws" are missing.

 

[romeo-1]

Looks good from here!

 

[VOL1266-X]

Looks like the real deal to me and could have had arrowhead hooks. Dates from pre to during CW and a little bit later. WTG, Quindy.

 

[civilman1]

Yepper....Congrat's on your US buckle

 

[Getty]

Looks like the real deal to me and could have had arrowhead hooks. Dates from pre to during CW and a little bit later. WTG, Quindy.

I agree. Congrats on a GREAT save! WTG!!!

 

[tennessee digger]

It is not a cavalry buckle but it is still a GREAT find! Quindy is right about the date of it. It is a U.S. infantry buckle. Tennessee digger

 

[ModernMiner]

SWEET buckle!!! Congrats to you.
I'm still looking for one.
-MM-

 

[natepen]

Well, all those men had to head back home after the war and they kept their uniforms didn't they?

 

[Knight451]

Thanks for the comments. I was hoping it wasn't a reproduction but it seems right to me. The park I found it in most likely has been pounded over the years. Just goes to show that no site is ever hunted out I guess. I will be going back as I covered only a tiny area and there were a ton of spots that looked promising. Hopefully I can get out before the snow flies. I would have to say this ranks as one of my best finds to date. Thanks again for the input.

 

[7creeks]

Congrats on the belt plate....

 

[creskol]

Can we see a photo looking at it edgewise? Thanks

 

[birdman]

That is a killer dig!!

 

[jewelerguy]

sweet! congrats

 

[Deno]

That is to cool.

Congratulations on saving some history.

 

[JmCraz8]

Congrats, it could be a buckle of a soldier that was in the famous Iron Brigade, perhaps that ground before it was a park could'ov been a training area or a camp of the famous brigade. Only if these item could speak to us lol