Confederate Adjutant General button	The Civil War Relicman, Harry Ridgeway
	Winchester, Virginia USA (changed hands 70 times in the Civil War!) I am a collector buying and selling authentic Civil War Relics
	This page updated   March 01, 2008

The Ridgeway Civil War Reference Archive 
Buckles issued by Georgia

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.

P0757     Georgia two part waist belt plate, prewar manufacture


 
Finely crafted plate made on a contract basis before the war for a Georgia militia unit. Cast construction with the applied die-struck tongue disc.
Beautiful gilded plate, outstanding battlefield excavated example, they simply don't get better than this.
Found by Lewis Potts, Savannah Ga, the original discovery was published in the NST Vol XVII, No 1, 1990, pg. 13
Tongue keeper 50.6mm, wreath keeper 50.6mm, wreath 51.6mm
Ref: Mullinax, Plate 230 actual plate photographed and it is also shown on the cover of the Mullinax book! 

P0550     Georgia two part belt plate, "local" manufacture

 
Crude cast copy made by unknown wartime Confederate local manufacturer using prewar plates as a pattern. 
Beautiful matched example, small repair on the wreath keeper.
Recovered: Atlanta campaign
Tongue keeper 48.5mm, wreath keeper 47.8mm, wreath height48.1mm
Ref: Topper , Georgia Relics, pg 64, actual item photographed.
Ref: Mullinax Plate 234, actual plate photographed 

P1394     Georgia two part waist belt plate, "local" manufacture
 

 
Crude cast copy made by unknown wartime Confederate local manufacturer. Back of both tongue and wreath is flat casting.
Attractive example of this crude buckle.
Recovered: not known
Tongue keeper 49.9mm, wreath keeper 47.1mm, wreath 49mm
Ref: Mullinax Plate 236

P0758     Georgia oval waist belt buckle

Georgia state seal, stamped brass, solder filled, stud hooks.
This is one of the best looking examples of this plate, just look how crisp the stamping is and smooth rich dug patina, they don't get better than this.
Recovered: Pete Miller, Prince William County, Va, original discovery was published in NST Vol VI, No. 4, May - June 1979, pg. 15
Plate measures 54.6mm X 84.9mm
Ref: Mullinax, Plate 242 This plate is also shown on the cover of the Mullinax book!

P1628     Georgia oval cartridge boxplate  

Georgia state seal, stamped brass, solder filled, iron hooks.  
This is one of the best looking examples of this plate, just look how crisp the stamping is and smooth rich dug patina, they don't get better than this.
Hooks missing, beautiful face  
Recovered Savannah GA  (from Billy Johnson collection)  
Plate measures 55.4mm X 85.5mm  
Ref: Mullinax Plate 243

P0956      Georgia boxplate converted to waist belt plate!

Stamped brass, original boxplate hooks were cut, replacement brass wire hooks were configured for use as a buckle. This alteration was probably done in a small shop in the south after the war started as the south desperately needed buckles, and could get by without ornamental boxplates!
Clean face, one of the brass hooks is broken off.
Recovered: by Mike Peters, Charles County Va original discovery was published in the NST Vol XVIII, No 4, 1991, pg 10
Ref: Mullinax Expanded Edition, Plate 244 

P0270    Georgia rectangular belt plate

Constructed of stamped brass, these plates were originally designed for light duty to be used on a "web" belt. They were nonetheless pressed into service. Most were lost early in the conflict. It is a handsome design.
Found by Steve Baker Millwood Va, original discovery was published in the NST Vol XVI, No 4, May - June 1989, Pg. 12
Plate measures 52.2mm X 70.4mm
Ref: Crouch Artifacts, pg. 211 item 4, actual plate photographed
Ref: Mullinax, Plate 247

Item is on display at the Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester, VA.

P0327     Georgia Militia belt plate, affixed seal

This is very unusual 2 part oval plate. The oval is a plain stamped brass plate solder filled. The hooks are brass wire of the style more typically made of iron. The Hexagon seal is also brass stamped solder filled and affixed to the oval with brass wires.
The crucifix which is made of brass with ivory inlay was recovered with the buckle.
Plate measures 56.7mm X 88.7mm
This may be the only battlefield example to have survived intact, others have been found with the motif detached.
Ref: Keim, fig. 26, actual item photographed
Ref: Kerksis, fig. 341,rarity 9, actual item photographed
Ref: Mullinax, Plate 251, rarity 10, actual item photographed 

P0579     Oglethorpe Light Infantry, "OLI" cartridge boxplate

In 1852 The Oglethorpe Light Infantry banded with several other antiquated companies to form the Independent Volunteer Battalion of Savannah, then reorganized as the 1st Regiment Georgia Volunteers in 1856. The unit mostly served as home guards throughout the war. However a few of the individual OLI members joined the 8th Georgia Volunteer Infantry for duty in Virginia.
Boxplate is stamped, was not lead filled, solder marks for the hooks are present, none of these have been Recovered: with the hooks intact and there are no known belt buckles of this pattern!
Beautiful example, this one is whole, missing the hooks, most others found are broken.
Recovered: central Virginia
Plate measures 58mm X 89mm
Ref: Mullinax Plate 252 

P0308    Georgia Militia "GM" oval cartridge boxplate

Stamped brass solder filled box plate.  Georgia was a relatively prosperous state prior to the war and this is relatively high quality construction. The plate is quite rare and this would seem unusual given the popularity of Georgia militia units of the period. Perhaps the somewhat unusual size and shape of the plate made it unpopular with the units.
Clean patina, hooks missing, number "21" is clearly scratched in the back.
Recovered: Forsyth Park, Savannah, Ga by R.S. Durham, original discovery is published NST Vol VIII, No 6 Sept - Oct 1981, pg. 6
Plate measures 51.2mm X 75.1mm
Ref: Crouch Artifacts, pg. 211 item 2 actual plate photographed
Ref: Mullinax, Plate 254 

P0330     Georgia Militia "GM" two part artillery plate



Constructed of sand cast brass. It is a copy of the design of the 1839 Federal Artillery sword plate
Tongue Recovered: Peninsula campaign, Virginia
Wreath Recovered: Atlanta campaign
Tongue keeper 53.1mm, wreath keeper 52.6mm, wreath 47.6mm
Ref: Mullinax, Plate 255 

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