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Can You ID This US Belt Buckle?


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Charlie Flick

Guys:

This one is something of a puzzler for me. It is a two piece buckle with the eagle symbol. It is generally similar in appearance to the M1910 Mills officer garrison belt buckle, and the later General Officer pistol belt buckle. However, this one is not as finely made as either of those two types. It appears to be of cast bronze. It has no markings that I can detect. It will accommodate a 2 inch wide belt.

Is this thing a cheapo repro? Something from a military outfitter like Stokes Kirk or MC Lilley? Maybe a ROTC belt buckle or a military school buckle? Perhaps something from a Hollywood motion picture costume outfit?
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USbeltbucklefront.jpg USbeltbuckleback.jpg

For comparison purposes the photo below shows a WW2 era GO pistol belt buckle. Photo credit to J. Peppers.

GOPistolBeltBuckleCreditJPeppers.jpg

Can anyone give me any ideas on what this buckle is and its possible source? Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Charlie Flick

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Charlie -- I saw one of these being worn some years ago and thought the same thing since I then had an interest in GO belts. If I remember correctly, it was by some sort of guard at one of the monuments in DC -- perhaps for US Park Service officers?

 

G

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My first thought ws that this might be a Civil War or pre-Civil War militia officer's spoon & wreath belt plate.

 

Similar ones have been made as repros for quite some time. Here is a link to just one example: http://www.dlwleathers.com/Pages/ProductDe...sp?ProductID=3C

 

I can't comment on the authenticity of this particular belt plate, but you might want to explore the militia angle.

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This is not a Civil War (or before) two piece "tongue in wreath" buckle. The closest buckle from that period that this matches is O'Donnell & Campbell, plate 276.

 

The example that I reference has a plain, flat wreath, which stands in stark contrast with yours. The disc and spoon are also suppose to be two piece, not single cast. In short, it is clearly not the same buckle, but shows similarities in the style of the eagle, and to a lesser extent, the floral motif on the flanks of the buckle.

 

This is not to say that the buckle does not date from the post-Civil War years, but I cannot comment on that, as that is beyond my area of knowledge.

 

Unless someone can come up with an exact match, I believe that this is a generic reproduction/fantasy piece.

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Charlie Flick

Thanks for all of the input, guys. It is all very helpful. I wish I could pin this one down to a certainty.

 

Regards,

Charlie

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Hi Charlie, you know I'm a Google wizard, so if you scroll this page

 

http://hanoverbrass.com/siteindex.htm

 

you'll find this piece so advertised:

 

T 1 Early Militia Two Piece

Circa 1835

Original found Seven Pines VA.

 

It shows a dangerous similarity with your.

 

About at the end there is also the G3 buckle even more similar leaves. Anyway in another site http://www.savage-station.com/page22.html I've read that reprpo and fantasy male pieces are casted as one piece while originals are in two pieces brazed together

post-67-1344239276.jpg

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Charlie Flick

Thank you, Artu. You are indeed a Wizard of Google, and of many other things as well. I appreciate your input.

 

Regards,

Charlie

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