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The Civil War Relicman,
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Winchester, Virginia
USA (changed hands 70 times in the Civil War!)
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This page updated March 05, 2008 |
The Ridgeway Civil War
Reference Archive
Confederate government oval belt buckles
This is a sampling of relics collected by Harry Ridgeway over the years. This archive record is for educational purposes only. Some of the relics listed may be on display at the Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester Virginia, some are no longer owned by the author. None of the items listed in this section are for sale, please refer to the separate sales catalog for items that are currently offered.
All items listed are believed
to be authentic to the Civil War or as otherwise described.
Any excavated
relics have been recovered from private property with
owners permission.
This information is available for
research purposes, pictures may be used by permission only.
P0318
CS oval belt plate, "egg shaped"
Constructed of stamped brass, solder filled, thin iron hooks
intact. Unusual for these to have solder back. It is sometimes referred to as
"egg shaped" as it is not quite oval.
Beautiful intact example recovered in the 1960's
Found by Harry Ridgeway, Pumpkin Ridge, Clearbrook, VA
Plate measures 54.5mm X 90mm (plates were hand cut)
Ref: Mullinax Plate 138
Item is on display at the Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester, VA.
P0317
CS oval belt plate, "rope border" style
The standard "CS" design on this piece includes
the outline of a rope around the border. Buckles were not solder filled and the
scrap brass doubled over used for hooks are intact on this excellent specimen.
There is a small crack under the "S" which is somewhat common for this
pattern, all hooks intact.
Recovered: by Lewis Frazer Germanna, VA
Plate measures 55mm X 87mm (these were hand cut)
Ref: Mullinax Plates 140 to 143
Item is on display at the Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester, VA.
P1520
CS "Rope
Border" oval buckle
Called the "rope border" style because there is the faint
outline of a rope just inside the rim, these plates were stamped, were never
lead filled, and attachment hooks were individually fashioned from sheet brass.
Beautiful nondug example, detail is sharp, one hook is broken but present.
Ref: Mullinax Expanded Edition , plate 140
P1629
CS oval belt plate, "rope border" style
The standard "CS" design on this piece includes the outline of a rope around the
border. Buckles were not solder filled and the scrap brass doubled
over used for hooks.
Nice clean example, hooks present tips broken on two hooks, this is why it was
discarded!
Recovered: Tennessee campaign
Plate measures 55mm X 87mm (these were hand cut)
Ref: Mullinax Plates 140 to 143
P0626
CS oval buckle,
"Regulation" style
Similar to the rope boarder style of buckle, the inner rim
on this buckle is
plain, but letter style is distinct. It is die stamped from sheet brass.
Attachment hooks were made from scraps.
This is an attractive example of this rare plate. There is a very very minor
crack at about 3:00, many of these plates are found with small cracks, this
one is whole and intact, all hooks intact.
Found Shelbyville, Tennessee
Plate measures 54.5mm X 88mm
Ref: Mullinax Plate 144
P1432
CS oval buckle,
"Regulation" style
Similar to the rope boarder style of buckle, the inner rim
on this buckle is plain. It is die stamped from sheet brass. Attachment
hooks were made from scraps. Beautiful plate, all hooks intact, top grade
example
Found Fredericksburg Va
Ref: Mullinax Plate 144
P0659
CS oval buckle
"Breckinridge" style
Called the "Breckinridge" style by early relic
hunters because some
were found in camps occupied by the famous general, there is no
evidence actually linking this to Breckinridge because they are also
frequently found in Tennessee. The distinction is the boxey stamping
and relatively heavy sheet brass. The thickness made the buckle
more sturdy but at the same time difficult to get a good stamping,
and this is a wonderful example of it. The hooks were fashioned
from scraps.
Outstanding example, hooks intact.
Recovered: Shelbyville Tennessee
Plate measures 57mm X 87mm (approx, rounded plate is hand cut)
Ref: Mullinax , Plates 148 to 150
P1434
CS oval buckle
"Breckinridge" style
Called the "Breckinridge" style by early relic
hunters because some were found in camps occupied by the famous general, there
is no evidence actually linking this to Breckinridge because they are also
frequently found in Tennessee. The distinction is the boxy stamping and
relatively heavy sheet brass. The thickness made the buckle more sturdy but at
the same time difficult to get a good stamping, and this is a wonderful example
of it. The hooks were fashioned from scraps.
Outstanding example, hooks intact.
Recovered: Franklin Tennessee
Ref: Mullinax , Plates 148 to 150
P0371
CS oval belt plate sheet iron
construction
Die stamped sheet iron construction. Brass hooks are
soldered
on back. This was an obvious CSA effort to conserve on
scarce copper materials. These remarkable rusty plates are
rare.
This one is in unusually good condition and has been
clear painted to prevent further deterioration.
Plate fully intact, two hooks remain. One wonders how many are
out there having been left in the ground because of the "tin"
discrimination of the modern metal detectors!
Recovered: Atlanta campaign.
Plate measures 59mm X 87mm (plates hand cut)
Ref: Mullinax Plate 152
P0319
CS oval belt plate, solid
cast "Breckinridge" style
Solid cast version of the "CS" is similar to the
"Breckinridge" stamped
plate, but probably was made by a different manufacturer early in the war.
Workmanship is crude, this is better example than most, one hook is missing.
Recovered: Lovejoy GA by Don Odom, original discovery was published
NST Vol X, No 2, January - February 1983, pg. 4
Plate measures 54.4mm X 80.3mm
Ref: Mullinax Plate 155
P0415
CS oval belt plate, 11 stars
of the Confederacy
Construction is solid brass casting, this plate symbolizes
the eleven
states of the Confederacy. Although not the rarest, this is one of
the most sought after of the Confederate government plates. These
are noted for poor workmanship, and almost all of them have a
major casting flaw in the very center of the buckle. This was
the casting vent, which in this example is actually a hole completely
penetrating the plate where it looks like a soldier poked through using the
crude flaw as a start. It is crude and as Confederate as you can get.
Example fully intact, there is a crack around part of the C that has been filled
in.
Recovered: by Sam Kinsey in 1992 from Calhoun, GA, the original
discovery was published in the NST Vol XIX, No 3, May - June 1992, pg 8
Plate measures 50.2mm X 75.2mm
Ref: Mullinax , Plate 159