Rectangular "Clipped Corner" Belt Plate
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Item: Rectangular "Clipped Corner" Waist Belt Plate
Construction: Rectangular sheet brass.
Condition: Good, excavated, attachment tongue and belt loop bar missing. It appears that when recovered it was bent in several areas. It has since been carefully re-bent back into its original shape and the lines of bending are visible in the plate. Its brass has a dusty brown patina. The rear shows areas of solder where the attachment tongue and belt loop bar were once attached. The plate has no cracks or breaks.
Recovered: Brandy Station, VA
Approximate size: 60 x 81 mm.
Comments: According to "Confederate General Service Accoutrement Plates" by Lon W. Keim, M.D. on page 104, regarding Clipped Corner Plates, the author writes: "As war clouds gathered, the southern state militias recruited new members rapidly. Unfortunately, the resources were not available to outfit everyone with attractive die stamped accoutrement plates. Consequently the authorities turned to local contractors to provide simple plates with a military bearing. The result was a thin sheet brass buckle with clipped corners. Some were die stamped, others hand cut following a pattern. Nearly all depended upon a tongue and a belt loop bar for attachment. This was an imitation of a style that was popular between 1830 and 1850. However, strenuous field duty snapped off the soldered tongues and belt loop bars at an alarming rate. Clipped corner buckles became obsolete and were replaced by sheet brass plates with a single strand of brazed iron wire soldered to the reverse for belt attachment." Another example of this type plate, recovered from Saylor's Creek, with the same dimensions can be found in the above mentioned reference book on page 112 as figure 157 and also in the additional images in this listing. This plate will be an excellent addition to any excavated Civil War plate or general relic collection.
- Product Code:
- PC7403
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