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MARYLAND SWORD BELT PLATE

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These plates follow the general configuration of the U.S. M1851, but substitute the 1854 version of the Great Seal of Maryland, simply moving the motto from a ribbon scroll at the bottom to the top of the raised oval border that separates the seal from the stippled background of the plate. They are attributed to Emerson Gaylord of Chicopee, Mass., as are similar sword belt plates made for Virginia and a few other states. They seem to have been made shortly before the war, according to one secondary source as part of sword belt rigs purchased by some of Baltimore’s uniformed militia companies. Regardless of the specific purchasers, many made their way into volunteer service in the Civil War with some well-established Confederate use evidenced not only by excavated and personally identified examples, but in period photographs, most notably a splendid photo of an armed Confederate cavalryman from the collection of Dave Mark illustrated by Mullinax in his 1991 Confederate Belt Buckles and Plates on page 152- the same page on which he also illustrates a Gettysburg recovered example of the pattern.

The seal shows some rubbing to raised details, but preserves the quality of the work usually noted on these plates. Mullinax thought this was due to use of the lost wax process, but it has become clear the company used a secondary die strike after casting to enhance detail. This is a very good condition, non-excavated example, showing the raised dimple sprue mark on the back of the plate near the rounded tip of the belt hook, both of which we want to see. The belt loop is very good, with no bends or distortion, and the belt hook is firmly in place.  [sr][ph:L]

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