Confederate "Clip Corner" Belt Buckle with Field Modification

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Item: Confederate "Clip Corner" Belt Buckle with Field Modification
Construction: Sheet brass.
Condition: Very good, excavated. This brass plate is smooth and has an even rich brown patina. The rear belt attachment tongue, and bar with tangs, are no longer present however, solder remnants are clearly visible where these were once attached. At some point a field modification to the buckle was made. With the attachment bar and tangs becoming detached, two holes were made in that end of the buckle, likely with square nails, as a means to attach it to a belt with a small strip of leather or twine in order to keep it functional. The buckle shows only minimal wear and tear and no has no cracks, repairs, or major bends.
Recovered: During the 1970s from the Petersburg, VA area.
Approximate size: 58 x 81mm.
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." Dr. Keim's massive Confederate buckle book is no longer in print and copies are difficult to find however, one is available on this website. Click here to see this available copy. 

Another example of this type plate, without a modification, recovered from a 1861-62 winter camp of the 1st Texas Infantry near Dumfries, VA, with the same dimensions can be found in the above mentioned reference book on page 109 as figure 151 and also in the additional images in this listing. This buckle will be an excellent addition to any excavated Civil War belt plate or general relic collection.


Product Code:
PC7718

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