(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 06, 2008

Disclaimer:  by clicking onto this page you are expressly accepting the terms of the disclaimer explained fully on the fakes main page.

Fakes, reproductions & replicas, Confederate plate 013 
"CS" two piece buckle, balls serifs style 

Original is noted for the rounded serifs, flat back tongue bar, oak leaf wreath with flat back, and wreath that is badly off center.  Diggers often refer to this as the "Culpeper CS"  because a good many have been found there, but that is not the only source and they certainly were not made there.

P1485 CS two part buckle "ball serifs" style

 
Two part style is noted for the "ball serifs" style of lettering. This is a very heavily constructed and crude plate. The wreath is unusual, lacking the gutter from other styles. This is a rare pattern. Beautiful unmucked deep green patina.
Recovered: Orange, Virginia
Keepers 45.2mm, wreath height 46.5mm

Editor note:  yep relicman got stuck with this one!  Plate was originally purchased from Cal Packard, Mansfield Ohio, at the Charleston SC show in 2000.  The plate was determined to be fake in 2006.  Cal does not believe he should accept this plate back, he paid $500 toward the original purchase price of $2,000, I do have a written receipt from him, in his handwriting at the time of the sale.  It matches the Hanover Brass example in every detail so I have to eat it so I am left with the loss, not Cal.  There are no maker marks on this plate, never were that I can find.  Cal says he "guarantees" the items he sells, I guess that means we are supposed to simply accept his authority, it means he guarantees that it is his opinion that the item is good, but it does not mean he will refund money when his judgment is proven wrong!   That seems like a rather hollow "guarantee" to me.  I should note that I have had items returned to me, which I have honored, and I have returned other items to other dealers.  Cal is the only active dealer I have worked with refusing to honor his guarantee.

Additional note:  This plate has been handled, scraped, rubbed, smelled, tasted, hundreds of times.  By now there are spots of raw brass passing through, but I can assure you none of this was present in 2000 when I bought this plate.  This had a patina to kill for.  You cannot authenticate or condemn a plate based on patina alone, you have to use other clues.

F1020    "Ball Serifs" CS 2-Piece Belt Buckle, manufactured by Hanover Brass
  
"This reproduction CS "Ball Serifs" style Two Piece is a MUST for anyone who enjoys civil war belt buckles. It is cast from yellow brass. Associated with the Army of Northern Virginia. Has original look."

Source: ebay auction by jaglady00 3/12/06 ""Ball Serifs" CS 2-Piece Belt Buckle Plate Item number: 6611817016"

Editor note: "jaglady00" is Hanover Brass, items sold as reproductions

F1188 CS two part buckle "ball serifs" style manufactured by Hanover Brass
   
Tongue keeper 44.9mm
Wreath keeper 45.6mm
Wreath height 46.8mm

Plate was obtained directly from Hanover Brass with the following comment:
"Look for flaw in tongue and in the S line."

Additional photos and text posted on civilwarfakes.com, (Gary Williams webpage): 
Photo # CS2P7 Plate 013 (Balls Serifs) or (Culpeper) CS Two Piece Belt Plate. 45 x 83/wreath ht.47. Original dug by Henry Yelinek, Hanover Court House, Va. I have seen these in both yellow and red brass. If you look at the center top of CS there are two dots. This is good to use as a flaw. I have cast many of this plate over the years and all will have the same flaw. GW and catalog no. stamped in the back of the tongue.

Editor note: Plate was obtained directly from Hanover Brass. "HBF" is very lightly stamped onto both pieces.  However this is very easily covered or rubbed out. 

F1191 CS two part buckle "ball serifs" style manufactured by Tim Parsley
     
Tongue keeper 44.8mm
Wreath keeper 44.1mm
Wreath height 46.7mm

Editor note: Plate was obtained directly from Tim Parsley.  There is a light "P" stamped onto both pieces, but this can be easily removed or covered.

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