Yes, go ahead and ignore that can! This puppy was found on a nearly 400 year old site. I was doing an organized dig and I guess about 15 something people passed right over or by it. It is a colonial period cross belt plate, made for the slightly wider belts of the late 17th to mid 18th century. Sand cast brass, clipped corners and carefully beveled edges. There are six of the hooks on the back, four are still about perfect, and are still bent over to attach to a standard man's thickness shoulder belt. The leather belt would have been 1/4" thick or less. gauging from the bend of the hooks. Makes identification very convincing. Similar types were used later by the Confederates, most were sheet brass, and they were reused from earlier folks. Similar pieces have been found that were meant for horsie furniture, but they have longer hooks on the back, and some were also made to attach to wooden trunks of the colonial period, but they have longer attaching studs, and the studs were made differently. I also got 4 colonial coppers, 1 George II, 1 George I with full date 1729, the one shown standing, two George III's pretty toasted, but clear enough to make out the monarch and they are contemporary counterfeits as determined by the thickness and quality. Also about 20 pieces of aluminum cans, the genuine aluminum, and some thin sheet brass pieces. I have annealed some of the brass to unbend it, and believe due to the consistent thickness, it is modern.
I also found three colonial buttons, the one is 17th century as it has that awesome offset "U" shaped shank. Have a piece of a bellarmine from another trip and more miscellaneous.
I have never found one of these and I managed NOT to ding it with the shovel. Imagine! No dinging! You don't see these anymore, and this one is mint!
I also found three colonial buttons, the one is 17th century as it has that awesome offset "U" shaped shank. Have a piece of a bellarmine from another trip and more miscellaneous.
I have never found one of these and I managed NOT to ding it with the shovel. Imagine! No dinging! You don't see these anymore, and this one is mint!
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