Buckles

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CS Buckles

1. Excavated Western Theater "Egg Shaped" C.S. oval die stamped brass Confederate waist belt plate.  This buckle was recovered by Brice Smelcer from the camp of the 51st Alabama cavalry a few years back.  The camp was occupied in the spring of 1863 and located near Fosterville, TN.  The plate was bent when Brice found it, but it straightened well, and displays nicely.  It's a very rare thing to dig a Confederate plate anymore.--$1,250. SOLD.
2. Beautiful condition excavated massive, thick beveled teeth GA. Frame Confederate waist belt plate.  The plate has a beautiful green patina and was recovered from Forrest's and Van Dorn's 1863 Confederate winter cavalry camps located near Spring Hill, TN.  This super heavy GA. Frame is one of the rarest of the Confederate frames to come by.--$695.
3. Excavated cast brass Army of Tennessee round corner "CS" waist belt plate.  This buckle was recovered in 1972 by one of my relic hunting buddies - Wayne Read - about 50 yards from where I dug it's twin.  We recovered both plates and eventually others from the camp of the 1st Alabama Cavalry that was destroyed in March 1863 by Gen. David Stanley's Federal Cavalry.  You can read all about this raid in the Official Records in Vol. 23 - Part 1 - "Expedition To Middleton - March, 1863".  This is the "spun down" hook variety.--SOLD
4. SUPER RARE excavated large oval "A.V.C." {Alabama Volunteer Corps" waist belt plate.  This scarce buckle was recovered near Fredericksburg, VA. many years ago out of an Alabama winter camp there.  When recovered the plate had rim damage around the perimeter and also some damage on the "C" edge.  The plate has been restored and looks very respectable.  The soldier apparently just wanted the plate to say "Alabama Volunteers" as he very carefully tapped the letter "C" almost totally away leaving just a faint halo.  Perfect large "AVC" plates now are selling for $8,500. to $10,000.  This isn't a perfect example, but displays quite well and is the real deal and ISN'T $10,000.--$2,550.
5. Nice condition excavated large oval plain face stamped brass militia cross belt plate.  The plate is maker stamped "James Smith & Sons - New York" and is pre-Civil War and was recovered from a Confederate camp site near Corinth, Mississippi.--$175.
6. Super - Super rare cast brass rectangular Maryland State Seal Saber Belt Rig.  The plate couldn't be prettier with a rich aged - never cleaned - patina.  The original buff belt is in very nice condition as well and also the leather percussion cap box.  This fine belt rig was once part of the famous "Remsburg Family Collection" of Antietam, MD.  During the mid 20th century - this was considered one of the nation's best collections.  This belt rig is nice enough for any museum collection in the nation.--$5,450.
7. Extremely rare "Coin Type" Western Theater C.S. 2-Piece sword belt plate.  This is a very interesting excavated plate.  It was recovered from Gen. Polk's 1862 - 1863 winter camps along Duck River near Shelbyville, TN.  The two pieces were found only a few feet apart so you have to think that they were being worn together.  The rub is this -- The tongue is the early war {1862} issue lighter weight belt loop and the wreath is the later war {1863} heavier belt loop.  My guess is that he broke the loop on the early war wreath {which is what the complaint was} and found him a heavier "later war" wreath and kept right on wearing his buckle {until he got something he liked better and threw it down !!!}.  This is a very nice plate just as it is --- but could also be a candidate for completing someone's early war or later war buckle with "matching" belt loops.--$2,650.
8. Excavated large size "Breckenridge Style" C.S. oval waist belt plate.  This is a nice looking plate and was recovered by Norman Malone in the early 1980s from the camp of the 3rd Georgia Infantry located just South of Atlanta, GA.  Two hooks are complete and one is partial and all had come unsoldered when found.  The hooks have been glued back where they were originally located.  This Confederate buckle would be a sweet addition to anyone's Confederate plate collection and a very tough one to find.--$2,250.SOLD
9. Beautiful condition excavated early 1800s - Prewar - Militia cross belt plate.  These are recovered quite often in Confederate camps, so were apparently carried over and used in the Civil War from an earlier era.  This one was recovered near Richmond, VA. and has a slick "olive green" patina.--$150.
10. Cast iron Confederate general service frame buckle and sling tip found with the buckle.  This was recovered from an 1863 Confederate Cavalry camp here.  This style buckle is pictured in "Confederate General Service Buckles" by Dr. Lon Keim.--$95.
11. Absolutely drop dead beautiful condition non-excavated 4-piece cast brass "Mississippi Rifleman's" buckle on a section of the original belt.  This is the style buckle that was issued with the Model 1841 "Mississippi Rifle".  In 35 years I've only had a handful of these to offer loose off the belt.  What a nice compliment this would be displayed with your "Mississippi Rifle".--$425.
12. Non-excavated stamped brass clipped corner plain face militia buckle.  This type buckle was used by various State Guard and Militia units from the 1840 era through the Civil War and into the 1870s.This one is in very nice condition.--$125.

 

US Buckles

1. Drop dead beautiful excavated small "Burnside breastplate".  The face has a smooth chocolate patina with detail that will about cut your finger !!  The reverse has full lead and one complete hook and a portion of the second.  It's really hard to find a "Burnside Plate" this pretty.--$350.SOLD.
2. Beautiful condition non-excavated cast brass Model 1851 eagle sword belt plate with 3-piece applied silver wreath.  The plate has a rich - never cleaned - aged patina and even has the brass keeper with it.  This is an excellent sword belt plate--$350.SOLD
3. Very attractive excavated large size U.S. oval waist belt plate.  This was recovered many years ago here at Stones River and still has a portion of leather belt intact under the arrow head hooks.--$250.
4. Excellent condition non-excavated circular lead filled Federal eagle breast plate.  If you have a cartridge box and over-the-shoulder sling - missing the breast plate - This will look fantastic - guaranteed !!--$250.
5. Beautiful excavated large size "U.S." oval waist belt plate recovered by Wade Buchanan about 30 years ago here at Stones River - SO pretty.--$250.
6. Excellent condition and quite scarce non-excavated early 1850s era "Puppy Paw" hook large size lead filled U.S. oval waist belt plate on it's original black leather belt.  The belt is complete, but a little fragile - The buckle on the other hand is a beauty and solid as a rock.--$375.
7. Beautiful, rich aged bronze patina on this non-excavated circular federal eagle breastplate.  The reverse was altered back in Civil War days to attach with  2 long brass prongs that would simply go through the leather and bend over to attach.  It's actually an easier, more efficient attachment system than it had to start with.--$195.
8. Excellent condition non-excavated large oval lead filled "U.S." waist belt plate.  Choice face with full lead and all three attachment hooks intact on the reverse.--$250.
9. Mint condition non-excavated Federal large size lead filled U.S. oval waist belt plate.  It has as excellent face with a rich, aged patina, full lead in the reverse, and all three hooks intact.  You couldn't ask for a nicer example.--$250.
10. Excellent condition excavated large size "U.S." oval cartridge boxplate recovered by one of my old relic hunting buddies here at the Battle of Stones River back in the early 1970s.  Smooth brown face - full lead - and both loops intact.  The last 40 years and {40 years worth of "acid rain"} has made it impossible to recover a plate of this quality now.--$195.
11. Arrow hook pattern large oval "U.S." waist belt on it's original brown buff belt.  The buckle is nice as can be and the belt is complete with original brass adjuster and the leather remains quite pliable.--$595.
12. Drop dead beautiful excavated large oval - lead filled- "U.S." cartridge box plate.  This plate was recovered on private property near Shiloh about 40 years ago.  The face has a smooth chocolate brown patina and the reverse has full lead and both wire attachment loops intact.  I wish that they were still coming out of the ground this nice , but the facts are - they are not.--$195.
13. Mint condition non-excavated large size lead filled "U.S." oval cartridge boxplate.  Perfect face - full lead - and both iron loops intact.  The iron loops are 21/2 inches apart if you have a cartridge box needing a nice plate.--$250.
14. Nothing less than drop dead beautiful face on this excavated large size "U.S." cartridge boxplate that was recovered about forty years ago at Chickamauga, GA.  The lead is full, smooth, and completely intact and one complete loop remains intact on the reverse and a portion of the second.  I don't know that I have ever seen a more beautiful face on an excavated plate than this one has.--$195.
15. Scarce Pre-Civil War small 1839 Model "U.S." cartridge boxplate.  The "baby U.S." is much rarer to find than the standard large size U.S. oval.  This one was recently recovered here in a "late 1862" Confederate infantry camp.  These plates sometimes turn up in C.S. sites due to being "old" and in storage in arsenals when the war came along - which the Confederates instantly took possession of and issued.  I have always heard that the Confederates simply turned them upside down to read "SN" {Southern Nation}--$150.
16. Mint unissued large oval - lead filled - U.S. waist belt plate on it's original brown buff Federal waist belt.  This would be a fine addition to any Civil War collection.--$595.
17. Absolutely drop dead beautiful excavated circular federal eagle breastplate recovered here at Stones River in the late 1960s.  I don't think that you could excavate a nicer example.--$195.
18. Very attractive non-excavated large size "S.N.Y." cartridge boxplate.  The plate has a really nice aged patina and appears to be off an old relic board in that there are two old tack holes that have been solder filled where it was at one time tacked to the relic board.  It has full lead and one of the two iron loops remains intact on the reverse and it has excellent eye appeal in display.--$550.SOLD
19. Excavated large size U.S. oval cartridge boxplate recovered from Chickamauga, GA. with a beautiful face and a "W. H. Smith - Brooklyn" maker's mark that you can read across the room.  This plate was dug almost 40 years ago and it's quality reflects that.--$295.
20. Very nice condition non-excavated large size lead filled "U.S." oval waist belt plate.  This is the arrow hook style with all hooks intact and a nice aged patina on the face.--$275.
21. Very attractive large size lead filled "U.S." oval cartridge boxplate recovered several years ago at Chickamauga, GA.  The wire loops are rusted off on the reverse but on the positive side the soldier's initials "T. F." are nicely carved into the lead.--$150. 
22. Large size "U.S." oval waist belt plate on the original maker marked black leather waist belt.  The belt has the brass keeper intact and is marked "Wilkinson Maker - U. S. - Springfield, Mass." - but the belt does have an old repaired break on the back side.  Still a very nice U. S. belt rig.--$450.
23. Beautiful condition excavated large size "U.S." oval cartridge boxplate.  This one was recovered many years ago at Shiloh and has a nice brown-green patina on the face and full lead and both wire loops intact on the reverse.  You couldn't hope to dig a nicer plate than this one.--$225.
24. Excavated large size lead filled "U.S." oval cartridge boxplate recovered at Chickamauga a few years ago.  The face has one little rust bump on the bottom of the "S" but is otherwise an excellent plate with a smooth chocolate brown patina on the face and full lead and both loops on the reverse.--$185.
25. Very nice condition excavated large size lead filled "U.S." oval waist belt plate.  This buckle was recovered on Sat. - 5 - 18 - 1991 at 9:15 A.M. at Eastport, Mississippi.  How's that for you folks that like to know all about where their artifacts came from.--$250.
26. Perfect condition unissued large size lead filled "U.S." oval waist belt plate.  This is the arrow hook variety and all three hooks remain intact.  This is the classic belt plate of the American Civil War.--$250.
27. Excavated circular eagle breastplate recovered a number of years ago by my old hunting buddie - Pete Cryer, here at Stones River.  The face has a nice brown-green patina and the reverse has full smooth lead.  The wire loops are rusted away.  This is an attractive example of the federal eagle breastplate.--$125.