VERY NICE CONDITION MODEL 1851 SWORD BELT PLATE AND KEEPER

VERY NICE CONDITION MODEL 1851 SWORD BELT PLATE AND KEEPER

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$225.00 ON HOLD

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 490-7630

This is very good example of the U.S. regulation Civil War belt plate for enlisted men armed with swords, such as cavalry or horse artillerymen, infantry sergeants, heavy artillerymen with short swords, etc. The pattern was adopted in 1851 and features the arms of the US on the face, integral flat hook on the back and slot on the side for the belt. This is the version adopted about 1864 for use on the slightly wider saber belts and features a one-piece wreath of German (nickel) silver sweated onto the face and sunburst rays all around the central eagle motif. The plate bears the number 558 on the reverse, and the keeper is numbered 273, but fits well. These are not serial numbers, but “bench numbers” used to keep the two pieces together until they were attached to the belt, but plates might well end up switched by soldiers while cleaning accoutrements while sitting around in camp or barracks.

The plate is in very nice condition, showing crisp detail and retaining lots of bright gold color in lower areas and recesses, with the raised portions, subject to wear and rubbing, showing a mellow, aged brass patina, with just a small bit over verdigris at lower left. These plates are sometimes mistaken for officers’ plates because the nickel silver wreath usually stays bright where the applied silver wash to the integral wreath on the actual officer’s plates is usually worn off. The hasp, or keeper, has a mellow brass patina matching the raised border and belt loop of the plate.

This is a very good example of a widely used, regulation sword belt plate. If you had ancestor in U.S. cavalry regiment, he was probably issued one of these.  [sr][ph:L]

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