Buckles

Civil War Buckles

This page last updated March 11, 2010

EMAIL Phone: 804-873-5462

Plez Bagby
PO Box 6425
Charlottesville, VA 22906

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We are pleased to announce that copies of the 3rd printing of "American Military Belt Plates" by Michael J. O'Donnell and J. Duncan Campbell are now available from Virginia Civil War Relics. This 616 page book, filled with photographs and descriptions, is the most extensive Civil War Military belt plate reference book available and is a must have for the collector or general Civil War relic enthusiast. These brand new books are available for $49.50 plus postage.

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Click Image For More Pictures	PC2995 Sword Belt Plate An excellent example of an 1851 pattern sword belt plate excavated in Spotsylvania County, VA. This buckle has a great excavated look and is in very good condition. This particular plate has a benchmark number of "657" stamped to the left of the attachment tongue on the rear. Not all sword belt plates are recovered with benchmark numbers. It has an overall nice overall even brown patina that still has a very light dusting of soil remaining in a few areas highlighting the eagle and its rays. The buckle no longer has the nickel-silver wreath that once surrounded the eagle and is missing, most likely, due to ground action. Looking closely, the unblemished detail of the eagle is outstanding and the plate has no digger marks at all. The rear condition is as same as the front and the attachment hook is solid and perfectly in place. This plate is a stunning example that has no cracks, breaks, bends or repairs. A similar example of this plate can be found in the second edition of O'Donnell and Campbell's "American Military Belt Plates", as plate 663 on page 400. Approx. 55 x 88 mm. $325.00 Order Information or Questions? Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC503 US Carbine Sling Buckle - Maker & Inspector Marked This excavated Union carbine sling buckle is double marked with the manufacturer's stamping of "E. GAYLORD CHICOPEE" and inspector mark of "T.J. SHEPPARD". When stamped, it appears that the "E. GAYLORD" portion of the mark did not get a clean strike near the edge on the outer bar and, therefore, does not show up as well as the rest, but it is indeed there. The buckle has a very handsome even brown patina with no brass showing through. Both keepers along the inner bar move freely and there are no cracks, breaks, bends, or repairs. This marked buckle will make an excellent addition to any Civil War buckle or general relic collection. Approx. 51 x 83 mm. $185.00 Order Information or Questions? Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC2728 Field Made Lead Belt Plate This excavated relic appears to be a belt plate carved and hammered out of lead. Its size is perfect for a belt plate and being constructed of lead, along with its thickness, makes it significantly heavier than a regular US belt plate. There are three areas on the plate that appear to be the remnants of iron rods or, possibly nails, that were used as its attachment hooks. Two of the stubs are at one end with one at the other which would be a typical arrangement for a belt plate. These hooks have rusted away leaving only the interior portions. Marks of either whittling or hammer are visible on its front side. The craftsman that made this plate took the time to give it a slight "body curve" as well as rounding off the front giving it an oval convex shape. The rear is slightly concave and did not get the carved or hammered attention that the front received. The protrusions around the attachment hook remnants are greater than the front, which are more flush with the surface. This lead belt plate has a dirty tan white patina with a waxy feel. According to the former owner of this plate it was recovered by Brad Presley from a Civil War campsite in Shelbyville, Tennessee along with two brass CSA rectangle. This unique one-of-a-kind belt plate will make an excellent addition to any Civil War belt plate or general excavated collection. Approx. 54 x 82 mm. SOLD Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC2750 US Belt Plate This excavated US belt plate is in good condition and has a brass face with a brown patina with hints of the original brass showing through. The rear has nearly full lead and all three "puppy paw" style attachment hooks solidly in place. There is some very minimal edge damage at the rim in the 11:00 position of the face view. This rough area does not detract from the great displayable quality of this plate. This plate has not been repaired and will make an excellent addition to any general Civil War relic collection. Approx. 55 x 87 $225.00 Order Information or Questions? Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC2749 US Belt Plate This US belt plate is complete, in overall very good condition, and is out of a collection from North Carolina. The coloring of the brass leads me to believe that it was either a water find or has been stored in a damp place for a long time. The brass face of the plate has no cracks or breaks, but has aged into a multi-colored patina. The rear has all three arrow style attachment hooks and nearly full solid lead. There are a few small dings in the rim and most likely from general period usage. The plate has no bends or repairs and will make a fine display piece. Approx. 55 x 87 mm. $195.00 Order Information or Questions? Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC2591 Rifleman's Buckle This 4 piece excavated 1855 pattern rifleman's buckle with belt slides were excavated from the from the New York Excelsior Brigade's 1863 camp in Brandy Station, VA. This buckle has been reinforced in four places where the belt attachment bars connect to the main frame on both the left and right sections. The additional enlargement pictures will show where the reinforcement was made. This buckle, with its brown green patina, was recovered by Paul Irvin of Orange County, VA in the late fall and early spring of 1977-78. It was in this same camp that Mr. Irvin, along with his brother, found 64 US plates, several Chasseur shako hat plates and over 16 complete rifleman's buckles. This is one of those buckles. The story and picture of Mr. Irvin, and these finds, are documented in Howard Crouch's book "Relic Hunter: The Field Account of Civil War Sites, Artifacts, and Hunting". Click here to read the story of these finds. This buckle is a very nice relic that has an excellent documented history. Approx. 62 x 72 mm. $295.00 Ordering Information or Questions? Top
	PC2721 Logan Guard Belt Plate This non-excavated two piece tongue and wreath style belt plate with the raised letters, "L.G", is believed to be that worn by the "Logan Guard" of Pennsylvania. According to George Bradley, Historian: "The Logan Guards was a militia unit organized in 1858 in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. It gained fame in April 1861, when President Lincoln issued an urgent appeal for troops to protect Washington in response to the firing by rebels on Fort Sumpter in Charleston, South Carolina. The President's call was issued late on April 16, 1861. The Logan Guards and four other companies of Pennsylvania militia were the first troops to arrive in the nation's capital. They marched out of Lewistown listening to William Hopper, a lone fifer, play "The Girl I Left Behind Me". " For more information on the Logan Guards click the following link "History of Company A, 46th PVI The Logan Guards". The plate is in good condition and with plenty of gilt still remaining. There is a small crack in the brass on the tongue portion where the bar extending from the belt attachment loop meets the disc. According to Mike O'Donnell, co-author of the reference book "American Military Belt Plates", this plate is typical of the standard prewar pattern produced by a Philadelphia military supplier, Horstmann Bros. & Co. The Horstmann company was the primary supplier of plates and insignia to state militia units and this particular style plate represents a stock pattern primarily issued to PA militias. Mike O'Donnell also advised that the proper term for the dot between the "L" and the "G" is "separator". This plate's length measures approximately 88 mm. and the approximate measurement of the height of the attachment bar is 52 mm. The approximate diameter of the disc is 34 mm. while the approximate diameter of the wreath is 50 mm. This fine militia plate will make an excellent addition to any belt plate collection or general relic collection. $1,365.00 Ordering Information or Questions? Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC2729 1818-1835 Common Militia Belt Plate - Museum Quality This non-excavated 1818-1835 common militia belt plate is a stunning example of a pre-Civil War accoutrement plate and is from the collection of J. Duncan Campbell, co-author of the widely used belt plate reference book "American Military Belt Plates". This plate has excellent die detail and is nearly identical to Plate 154 pictured on page 103 in the 2nd edition of the above mentioned book. The belt attachment bar, its tangs and the attachment tongue are in place, secure and present. This militia plate from the period 1818-1835 will make an excellent example to add to any collection of military belt plates as it is most definitely museum quality. The plate has no cracks, breaks, bends, or repairs. Approx. 69 x 70 mm. SOLD Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC2315 US Belt Plate - Puppy Paw Hooks This excavated US belt plate with puppy paw style hooks has one of those stunning slick faces that screams "American Civil War". The overall condition of this plate is very good. Excavated from Shiloh, TN in the 1960's, the flawless slick face, with its even brown patina, shows the big fat letters "US" raised slightly above the brass field. The rear lead is smooth and is 99% complete. The attachment hooks are solid and in place. There is a small dent in the rim area above "US" which appears to be old damage that has been clear coated to prevent any further deterioration. This does not detract from this plate's fine appearance and is still an excellent example without any cracks, breaks, repairs or major bends. Approx. 55 x 86 mm. $315.00 Ordering Information or Questions? Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC2719 Confederate "Standard" Frame Buckle This excavated Confederate "standard" frame buckle is in excellent condition. Made of sand cast brass, it has a very pleasing olive green patina. This buckle was recovered from Five Forks, VA. The front side is smooth with the rear side still lightly soil coated. The cross bar and belt tip attachment tangs are both solidly in place and the frame has a gentle body curve from use. This Confederate buckle's simple design is very popular among collectors and this example is one that will enhance any Civil War buckle or general relic collection. This buckle has no cracks, breaks, repairs or other bends. Approx. 63 x 72mm. SOLD Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC2702 State of New York Belt Plate This excavated State of New York belt plate is in very good condition and is fresh out of a 34 year old collection. The plate was recovered in the 1975 by a Virginia digger in Falmouth, VA. The front of the plate has a very pleasing brown patina with brass highlights showing through on areas of the letters. The rear all attachment hooks are present and are firmly imbedded in the rear solder which is 99% complete. The plate shows evidence minor rim touch up work and some lead fill replacement at the stud or "S" end where a tiny pin hole still remains. This restoration work does not detract from its displayable character and quality. This plate has no cracks or major bends. Approx. 55 x 87 mm. $625.00 Order Information or Questions? Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC2685 AVC Militia Belt Plate This AVC militia belt plate, constructed of stamped sheet brass is, without a doubt, a rare find. The face of this rectangular plate shows a large star in the center with the letters "AVC" in an arc above the star. Surrounding the star and letters is a border of a strand of leaves and fourteen stars all on a lined background. Recovered in the Charlottesville, VA area by local relic hunter Jack Hamner in October of 2008, this plate, when found, was folded and has since been straightened. What distinguishes this plate, from other militia plates with a star in the center, are the three letters "AVC" above a five pointed star which, not surprisingly, points south. It is unclear exactly what the letters represent but according to the description under the picture of this same style plate, found on page 262 as plate 415, of the second edition of "O'Donnell and Campbell's book "American Military Belt Plates", "........letters "AVC" added representing an unidentified unit. Possibly Albany Volunteer Cadets or Alabama Volunteer Corps. A few of these have been excavated in Civil War sites." In addition to this example, are four other very similar militia plates also listed in the book, all with a five pointed star in the middle, and each with the star pointing up or north. These four examples do not include letters. The militia plate offered in this listing was uniquely and purposely designed with the star pointing down, not only to accommodate the placement of the three letters but to also, quite possibly, point southward signifying an allegiance to the Confederacy. Mr. Hamner who, by the way, is a cousin of Earl Hamner, creator and narrator of "The Waltons" television series, recovered this plate along side a very faint roadbed which lead up to an 1840's house site. The plate was approximately 14 inches in the ground and an eagle button and a North Carolina button were also recovered from the same area. The plate, in its original recovered state, was pictured on page 14 under "Field Recoveries" in the North South Trader's Civil War magazine, Volume 33, Number 6 / 2008 issue. A picture of the folded plate can also be seen by clicking on the thumbnail picture to the left. The plate clearly shows wear and no longer has its attachment bar, tangs, and tongue. A portion of the rim is missing and there is a hole in the upper right corner. The upper right hand corner was reworked back into position and is narrowly attached. The crease extending from top to bottom is where the main body of the plate was straightened. During my research of this plate I communicated with no less than 8-10 Civil War relic experts and all concluded that this was indeed a very rare plate. It is remarkably solid, has a very pleasing chocolate brown patina and display very nicely in any high end rare Civil War plate collection. A more exact recovery location will be provided to its new owner along with a copy of the North South Trader issue it is pictured in. $1,495.00 Order Information or Questions? Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC2626 Clip Corner Militia Cross Belt Plate This excavated clip corner militia cross belt plate was recovered in Caroline County, VA and is one of the nicest examples I have been able to offer. It is constructed of sheet brass which has a woodsy brown green patina. The rear still has one of the three attachment pins and remnants of old solder indicates where the other two pins were positioned. The best part about this excavated plate is how nicely it retained its high dome shape after being buried for so many years. The plates has no dents or chipped edges. Looking closely however, the plate does show a couple of freeze cracks near one end but these do not affect its structural integrity and are difficult to detect in natural lighting. This plate will make an excellent addition to any excavated relic collection. A similar example of this style plate can be found pictured in the fourth printing of Stanley S. Phillip's book "Excavated Artifacts From Battlefields and Campsites of The Civil War" on page 133. Approx. 54 x 78 mm. SOLD Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC2678 US Belt Plate This excavated US belt plate is in fair condition and does include all of its stud style attachment hooks. The brass face has a purple-ish base patina with few green areas. Its rim is damaged in a few areas and the rear has some solder loss running the length of the plate. It is my belief that the rim may have been bent at some point and then re-shaped back into place. The solder is stable and is approximately 90% present. This excavated belt plate is certainly not a perfect relic but will make a nice representation of a "been there, done that" Civil War belt plate in any excavated relic collection. Approx. 54 x 87 mm. $145.00 Order Information or Questions? Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC2680 State of New York Belt Plate This excavated State of New York belt plate, though not perfect, will make an excellent display piece. This particular plate has the big bold thick style letters "SNY" which is not as common as the thin style letters. The brass face has aged into a very handsome army green patina which has three freeze cracks and a couple of small breaks in the rim. The rear has two of three attachment hooks still imbedded in the solder fill which shows old flaking but is now stable. Approx. 56 x 88 mm. $495.00 Order Information or Questions? Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC2434 US Belt Plate with Leather Belt Portion This excavated belt plate is in excellent condition and clearly has an excavated appearance. The thin layer of crusty soil on the brass face is covering what I believe to be a rich brown patina. The rear has all three attachment hooks which are solidly in place snugly securing a remnant of the original leather belt. A couple of the attachment hooks still show slight traces of silvering. This thinly leaded plate is complete. There are no cracks, breaks, bends, or repairs in this fine relic which was recovered from private property near the Wilderness Battlefield in Spotsylvania County, VA decades ago by Henry Foster. This Civil War relic is an excellent example of an excavated US belt plate, direct from the digger, in great condition and from a battle area where there were approximately 29,800 casualties, the majority of them Union. Now a semi-retired farmer, Mr. Foster has lived his entire life in the same house he was born in near Mineral, VA. During his detecting days, he recovered thousands of bullets, several belt plates, cartridge box plates, eagle plates and other various relics with nearly everyone of them coming the same area. This plate will make an excellent addition to any Civil War belt plate or general relic collection. Approx. 54 x 85 mm. SOLD Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC2566 US Belt Plate - Published This excavated US belt plate was just recovered last year along with a CS belt plate (PC2563) both of which were pictured together in the "Field Recoveries" section of the North South Trader's Civil War magazine Vol. 33 No. 4 (click on magazine page thumbnail to right for the story). The digger, Dan Salley, explained to me that they were both recovered at an old house site in Marshall, VA and both were in less than 4 inches of soil which may explain the areas of freeze cracks in the brass of both plates. I suspect that both plates came to be in the yard of this house site due to the property being occupied by both US and CS troops at various times. The plate has an excellent dug "been there" appearance with its imperfect features and very pleasing chocolate brown patina. The rear has all three attachment hooks and approximately 3/4 of the lead fill still present. The brass face does have several freeze cracks and a portion of the rim is missing. Even with its structual problems, this plate is remarkably sturdy and will display quite nicely. $175.00 ($125.00 if purchased along with the CS belt plate, PC2563) Order Information or Questions? Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC2563 Confederate States Belt Plate "Sardine Lid" Style - Published As most my regular website visitors know, I seldom, if ever, use the often overused term "rare" to describe the scarcity of a relic, however, in the case, I will. This rare Confederate States "sardine lid" Virginia style belt plate was recovered by relic hunter Dan Salley just last year in 2008. Dan explained that it was recovered in approximately 4 inches of soil at an old house site near Marshall, VA. Also recovered in the same yard was a US belt plate (also just listed above as PC2566) both of which were pictured together in the "Field Recoveries" section of the North South Trader's Civil War magazine Vol. 33 No. 4 (click on magazine page thumbnail to right for the story). This plate is constructed of stamped sheet brass and has a very pleasing chocolate brown patina with a digging tool scrape above the "CS". It is complete with the exception of its hooks, a portion of the rim to the right of the letter "S" and a smaller triangular portion of the rim at the bottom under the "C". The plate has three freeze cracks, two from top center extending approximately 1/4 to 3/4 inches downward and one from bottom up extending approximately 1 inch upward. These freeze cracks were probably due to the fact that the plate was so close to the top of the ground thereby being more likely to endure the effects of the ever changing climate. Even with these issues the plate is remarkably solid. An example of this plate can be found in Steve Mullinax's book "Confederate Belt Buckles and Plates", 1st edition, on page 65 as plate 113 (also in "Expanded Edition" of same book on page 78, plate 133) These plates aren't made available very often and this one, although not perfect, will make an excellent one to display in any Civil War belt plate or general relic collection. Approximately 57 x 84 mm. $3,250.00 Order Information or Questions? Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC1241 US "Puppy Paw" Belt Plate This US belt plate, with the "puppy paw" style attachment hooks, is a top quality example. Excavated from a campsite in central Virginia its face has a very pleasing chocolate brown patina which shows some minor period use. The plate is in near perfect condition with full smooth lead and all three attachment hooks solidly attached and in place. This plate has no cracks, breaks, bends or repairs. This plate is an top notch excavated example and will make for an outstanding piece for any Civil War relic collection. Approx. 54 x 86 mm. $315.00 Order Information or Questions? Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC1190 US Belt Plate Marked "W H Smith Brooklyn" Non-Excavated This maker marked non-excavated US belt plate with the "puppy paw" style attachment is an absolutely beautiful piece. The plate does show definite wear and tear indicating that it was in use for some time. The brass face has a very pleasing aged brass "attic" patina and is without cracks or breaks. The rear has full lead with the make mark of "WH SMITH BROOKLYN" which has been high lighted with baby powder to show that all letters of the mark are visible. This plate has not been repaired and all three attachment hooks are solidly in place. This plate is a very nice non-excavated maker marked belt plate and will make for an excellent addition to any collection. Approx. 53 x 85 mm. $495.00 Ordering Information or Questions? Top
Click Image For More Pictures	PC1002 US "Puppy Paw" Belt Plate This US belt plate with the "puppy paw" style attachment hooks has that just dug look. This plate is actually out of a 20 year old private collection of relics and was excavated in the Richmond, VA area. The plate is in near perfect condition with only one flaw. Located at the 2 o'clock position is a slight nick in the rim where most likely it was struck by the digger's tool. The brass face of the plate with areas still soil covered has a light yellow brown appearance. The rear lead is smooth and complete with all attachment hooks present. This plate has no cracks, no breaks (other than the nick mentioned above) and no bends or repairs. This plate is a very nice looking "definitely dug" example. Approx. 54 x 85 mm. $335.00 Order Information or Questions? Top

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