A regulation issue Union infantry cartridge box belt plate recovered here at Gettysburg. Made of die-stuck rolled brass with lead-solder fill back securing an iron wire forming two loops for attachment to the shoulder sling, Excavated condition, the face showing gray, plum and thin green tones, with rubbing to high points. Very good detail to the eagle with arrows and olive branch. Dings to rim mainly at lower right, minor indentations elsewhere. Reverse shows gray and thin brown to the lead fill, which shows corrosion and surface losses with edge dings. The iron wire loops were cut and then bent inwards, forming hooks, likely to fix it to a display board or backing of some sort.

These plates were first adopted in 1826 with hooks on the reverse for the bayonet shoulder belt and with faces made of brass for artillery and white metal for infantry. This was changed to brass for both services in 1831 and when the bayonet was moved to the waist belt around 1842 the plates were redesigned with two loops on the back for wear as fixed ornaments on the cartridge box sling, and the plates with hooks relegated to the NCO and musician’s sword shoulder belts.

Any Gettysburg-recovered belt plate is scarce. This a very good relic from the most famous battle of the war.  [sr][ph:L]

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