Was this US Civil War buckle shot?*************** UPDATE************

[tsgman]

I dug this early in 06. I think it was shot. I found a photo of a shot breast plate in a relic id book and it looks very similar to my US plate. What do you guy's think. And how rare is it to find a shot US plate? How much in value can it increase. The strange thing is it appears the bullet struck it from the back side. It is easy to see the impact was from the back side. If the soldiers were using it for target practice wouldn't they shoot it from the front? If someone was wearing this when hit then they were shot in the back. I hate to think that happened. Of the 3 US plates I dug from this area, the back side of this one is darker, like it might be stained. I was watching the Natl Geographic Channel about the 5000 year old body they found in the mountains. They found a arrowhead that struck him along with blood cells still on his clothing. Maybe I have been watching to much CSI?

 

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[Pulltab Parson]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

I'm no ballistics expert but it looks shot to me. . .

 

[dugupfinds]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

Whats puzzelling me is that if these plates were worn in the centre of the belt (not sure if they were?), then the bullet would have hit his spine & therefore not passed through the body. Can you see where I coming from?

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

Looks shot or plowed! Where did you find it and I mean environment, not grid coordinates, LOL? Awesome find and HH, Mike

 

[HammerHead]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

maybe his belt was dangling while he was takin' a #2

 

[Johnny X]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

whoo... looks like he felt that one.


nice find!


xstevenx

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

Bullet could have come in from an angle, missing the spine and other bones and only going through soft organs. But I would imagine that if you found this in a plowed field then the damage might have been from a plow.

Buckleboy

 

[TxTim]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

Man....
Gut shot from the back side.
What a way to go.

 

[dugupfinds]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

Man....
Gut shot from the back side.
What a way to go.

Who said he died?

 

[Catsman]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

Wondering is what makes it fun. Great find. HH, Catsman

 

[romeo-1]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

Looks very possible!

 

[mobrigade]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

I'd say it has been struck...nice,

Paul

 

[civilman1]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

I'd call it "shot" Tsg.....Nice find....I wonder if it was worn at the time of impact

 

[trk5capt]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

TSG, Is The Brass Bent Or Broken Off ? If It Is Bent It Most Likely Was Hit While It Was New, If Broken Off It Was Most Likely Was Hit With Something Later, As Brass Gets Brittle With Age. trk5capt...

 

[tsgman]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

Looks shot or plowed! Where did you find it and I mean environment, not grid coordinates, LOL? Awesome find and HH, Mike

I dug this on a corner lot. This was a old Civil War 4-way stop so to speak. It was a intersection of 2 old roads. I stepped onto this lot walked about 4 steps and lowered my coil to the ground just as I was crouching down to get by a low tree limb, and BAM a great signal just under this very old tree. The plate was about 5 or 6 inches I believe. This tree is very old and I would say it's possible it was there back then. As I was digging this plate my buddy dug about 5 buttons a few feet from me. I think this site was a homesiteafter the Civil War. The postion under this huge tree and the other items found in this lot make me confident the lot was not plowed. Toe plates and buttons were in very good condition. Tsgman

 

[tsgman]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

TSG, Is The Brass Bent Or Broken Off ? If It Is Bent It Most Likely Was Hit While It Was New, If Broken Off It Was Most Likely Was Hit With Something Later, As Brass Gets Brittle With Age. trk5capt...

Capt. I think it is bent outward like it was mushroomed. Tsgman

 

[trk5capt]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

TSG, Is The Brass Bent Or Broken Off ? If It Is Bent It Most Likely Was Hit While It Was New, If Broken Off It Was Most Likely Was Hit With Something Later, As Brass Gets Brittle With Age. trk5capt...

Capt. I think it is bent outward like it was mushroomed. Tsgman

A Bullet Strike From The Rear Is A Good Thing In This Case, If Someone Were Using The Plate For Target Practice They Would Most Likely Shoot At The Face Of The Plate. You Most Defiantly Have A Keeper There, Congrats....

 

[DANGLANGLEY]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

I wonder about the buttons? Could the buttons have been from his uniform? Could he have died right there? Hmmmmmm. What is everyones opinion?

Thanks for the great post and that's a very nice find

 

[Hendrix]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

It is possible that it was shot from the rear. Although, it may not have been a bullet. Most of the battle deaths in the civil war were caused by cannon fire. Namely, "canister" and similar loads that acted like giant shotgun shells. An iron ball from a canister round might pass through several soldiers. Even the regular musket bullets could pass completely through as well.

 

[Gribnitz]

Re: Was this US Civil War buckle shot? It looks like it was to me. Tsgman

Unusal. If it was bullet damaged, it came from the back. Those minies had a lot of force behind them, one of the reasons there were so many arms and legs amputated during the war. Those big ole slugs would shatter the bone into fragments, forcing them to remove the limb to reduce the risk of gangrene. I would definatly think if a minie would shatter a thigh bone, it would more than easily go all the way through the abdomen even if it hit the spine. Was the place you found it a battle site, or a camp ?