If you want to own, “the one in the book,” this is your chance. We owned this rig years ago and the buckle is pictured as Plate 673 in O’Donnell and Campbell’s American Military Belt Plates. Introduced in 1851, the plate follows the US pattern for rectangular sword belt plates but uses an Old English “NY” in a wreath of laurel and palm. The casting of this plate is crisp and features a stippled background, originally gilt, with the letters silvered.

Plate and keeper are secure and both the belt and the sword slings are complete, firmly affixed and in excellent condition, which is rare since the higher quality leather used in the folded leather sword belts of officers usually did not hold up well. The brass-wire adjusting buckle is in place. Both sword slings still have their snap swivels for engaging the carrying rings of a scabbard. Both front and back sling are sewn in place, not sliding or detachable, and the forward sling also has its carrying hook to keep the sword from dragging when the officer is on foot. Even the leather safe is there. Extending from the hasp and showing just a little rubbing on the very tip, it was meant to protect the uniform when the buckle was fastened.

Worn by New York officers in the prewar militia, this pattern of sword belt also frequently shows up in photographs of officers who took the field in the volunteer regiments throughout the war. This is a superior example of a belt rig that is hard to find in any sort of decent condition.  [sr]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS,

CLICK ON ‘CONTACT US’ AT THE TOP OF ANY PAGE ON THE SITE,

THEN ON ‘LAYAWAY POLICY’.