US CIVIL WAR REGULATION ISSUE BUFF INFANTRY WAISTBELT WITH OVAL US PLATE

US CIVIL WAR REGULATION ISSUE BUFF INFANTRY WAISTBELT WITH OVAL US PLATE

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$300.00 ON HOLD

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 1333-09

This is the standard U.S. infantry waist belt and buckle of the Civil War. The “oval-US” buckle was adopted in 1839 and uses a die-struck brass face filled with lead solder to firmly anchor the fastener, which at first was simple iron wire, but by the 1840s had changed to a brass stud and hook arrangement. This one dates 1863-1865, using the arrow shaped fastening studs used by some makers as early as 1862, but specified as the new style in 1863- an April 1863 letter by Emerson Gaylord, the prominent accouterment maker, refers to the rounded studs as the “old style,” though he himself continued using them for a time to fulfill a contract.

The belt is buff leather and was issued dyed black on the exterior. This dye used iron mordants that oxidized to brown very quickly and this one was reblackened at some point. Some of that blacking has worn off, showing the oxidized brown color beneath. It also shows the oval outline of its original US Ordnance Dept. sub-inspector’s stamp to the left of the belt plate. The lettering inside the oval, usually naming the subinspector, is a bit indistinct, but might be puzzled out with some study and a strong raking light, though as a US inspector’s stamp it is unambiguous.

The plate is medium bright in tone, with some thin age stains, but sharp letters and border, the edges showing just a few small and very shallow handling dings. The belt hook and arrowhead studs are firmly in place. The lead-solder fill has a level surface and uniform gray color. At the other end of the belt the flat, brass C-clasp keeper was removed and the corners of the end slightly clipped to neaten it up, which is not unusual. The only damage we see are four short shallow slashes on the inside of the belt near the belt plate. These do not go through the leather and what caused them or why is unclear, but they do not show on the exterior and do not affect the integrity of the belt.

This belt was standard issue and carried the soldier’s percussion cap box for his rifle musket primers and a bayonet in its scabbard with belt loop. Although intended to be carried on a shoulder sling, period photographs show that cartridge boxes were occasionally carried on the waist belt as well. This is key piece in any Civil War collection or display.     [sr][ph:m/L]

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