(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   January 07, 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 and replicas, Confederate plates 084 to 099
CSA rectangle belt plate, Atlanta style 

Originals are known for distinct boxey letters, sand cast plates with many variants.  This is one of the most popular plates from the Civil War and possibly the most faked.


F1002 Atlanta style CSA rectangle, made by Hanover Brass
 
"This reproduction CSA Belt plate is a MUST for anyone who enjoys civil war belt buckles. It is cast in red brass and as close as you will get to the original. The original was dug by Gary Williams from the Cold Harbor battlefield in 1970. A very nice reproduction to wear or collect. Looking at the front you think you have the real deal. Marked as a reproduction."

Source ebay auction by jaglady00 3/12/06 "" Atlanta Style "CSA Belt Buckle Plate Item number: 6611623963"

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


F1053  Atlanta style CSA (another pattern) manufactured by Hanover Brass
 
"This reproduction CSA plate was cast from an original. This was a popular type used during the Civil War. This auction includes 7 CSA uniform coat buttons to match the belt plate, also reproduction and sand cast in red brass and hand finished by Hanover Brass. Buckle also cast in red brass for a matched set. Wearable or wonderful Collection Display."

Source: ebay auction by jaglady00 4/21/06 "1861-1865 CSA Belt Buckle Plate includes 7 CSA buttons Item number: 6622555410"

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

Editor note, This Atlanta style CSA has different casting flaws from the other example.


F1142    Atlanta style CSA (another pattern) manufactured by Hanover Brass
 

This reproduction CSA Belt plate is a MUST for anyone who enjoys civil war belt buckles. It is cast in red brass and as close as you will get to the original. The original was dug by Gary Williams from the Cold Harbor battlefield in 1970. A very nice reproduction to wear or collect. Looking at the front you think you have the real deal. Marked as a reproduction

Source ebay auction by jaglady00 6/1/06, " Atlanta Style "CSA Belt Buckle Plate Item number: 6633172056

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


F1059 Atlanta style CSA, appears to be repro
 
"Measures 48mm wide, its just a fart skin over 69mm over all. Hooks are nice and long. Top hook slightly off set to the right as it should be. Nice rich red brass patina. The reason for making this a privet auction. I wish protect my buyers from bogus second chance offers other forms of bidder harassment. I grantee this buckle it to be authentic and will put a notarized letter behind it. You will have 7-day inspection period. If for any reason, you don�t like the buckle during this time period.I will refund your money back to you, As long as the buckle is returned in the same condition as sent. It should not be rubbed or adulterated in any way. Please write with if you have any questions."

Source: ebay auction by tricitytrader 1/28/06 �Atlanta Arsenal� style buckle Item number: 6599271207"

Editor note:  This seller sells on ebay auction under "Private Auction" and is frequently the subject of conversation on the NVRHA forum on fakes.  It is highly doubtful this piece can be shown to be authentic.  This appears to be match of Hanover Brass buckle F1002.

Editor note: I was given opportunity to examine this plate and can report that I measure it as 48.3mm X 69.3mm.  It has a beautiful patina, which means that it has been very skillfully aged.  It is my opinion, on examination, that the piece is a repro. 11/18/06


F1255  Atlanta style CSA, appears to be repro

Editor note:  I have been contacted by a buyer in Tennessee who bought a rectangle CSA plate from Jeff Girardy.  This fellow has tried to contact Girardy to get his money back, so far no response.  I am encouraging him to pursue his case more vigorously.

I was able to examine the plate at the Nashville show in Dec 2006, it measures as follows:
Plate measures 48.2mm X 68.8mm.
It appears to be identical in marks and flaws with F1059.  I was not able to photograph it, but did examine it and the patina appears to match the example noted.  I have other evidence linking Girardy and Shaw, and believe that both pieces came from a common source. 


F1130  CSA buckle bullet struck

"WHAT I HAVE UP FOR AUCTION RIGHT NOW IS A 100% GUARANTEED GENUINE GENUINE CIVIL WAR CSA CONFEDERATE ATLANTA ARSENAL BULLET STRUCK PLATE. THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE PLATE AND IT WAS DUG BY MY LATE GRANDFATHER NEAR WILLIAMSBURG VA IN THE LATE 1960's. I HAVE HAD THIS IN MY FAMILY SINCE THAT TIME BUT WE HAVE DECIDED TO SELL THIS PIECE OFF TO HELP WITH A FAMILY EMERGENCY. THIS PLATE HAS THE CORRECT DIMENSIONS ACCORDING TO THE MULLINAX BUCKLE BOOK. NICE RICH DUG PATINA. 100% GUARANTEED AUTHENTIC OR YOUR MONEY BACK. I REALLY REALLY HATE TO SELL THIS PIECE AS IT IS A RICH FAMILY HEIRLOOM, BUT HEY, MY LOSS IS SOMEONE ELSE GAIN. PRICED VERY AFFORDABLE FOR SUCH A RARE RELIC. US SHIPPING WILL BE $8.00

Source: ebay auction by poorboyzhotrodz 7/12/06 GENUINE CONFEDERATE ATLANTA ARSENAL BULLET STRUCK PLATE CSA RECTANGLE ATLANTA ARSENAL BUCKLE WILLIAMSBURG DUG Item number: 260005395053

Editor note:  This seller sells on ebay auction under "Private Auction" and is frequently the subject of conversation on the NVRHA forum on fakes.  It is highly doubtful this piece can be shown to be authentic.   The same pics and same description was used by the following auction by vintage_comics_and_collectibles, 9/24/06 "CIVIL WAR CONFEDERATE RECTANGLE BULLET STRUCK PLATE ATLANTA ARSENAL STYLE BUCKLE, WILLIAMSBURG DUG Item number: 250030391664


F1145  Atlanta style CSA

"Up for auction is a nice Confederate States of America CSA beltplate buckle. It is a dug buckle and has heavy patina. Apparent casting flaw on the S. Measures 47 x 69 mm."

Source: ebay auction by plasticfanatic1 7/22/06 " Confederate CSA Civil War belt plate buckle No Reserve Item number: 270010700974"

Editor note:  This seller sells on ebay auction under "Private Auction" and is frequently the subject of conversation on the NVRHA forum on fakes.  It is highly doubtful this piece can be shown to be authentic. This appears to be a highly treated and damaged example of the Hanover Brass pattern.


F1165  Atlanta style CSA
  
"This buckle came from an Idaho estate sale and someone has cleaned part of it, but you can still see age and batina on the back , and the center of the C It measures 1 7/8 by 2 13/16 one of the clasps is about half gone (see pic.) I believe it to be real, but will accept return incl. postage within 10 days I dont know what the writing on the back (things assoc. or thinnis assoc. ) means. I have been informed by mark that Things assoc. means reproduction from 1961"

ebay auction by roreyr, 8/11/06 "CSA confederate belt buckle things assoc. NR Idaho Item number: 230015267212"

Editor note.  This is honest auction, seller noted that it is repro.  I don't know if this is centennial repro (1960's) or it could be Hollywood (1930's).


F1177  Atlanta style CSA

"Very nice CSA Confederate brass belt plate. Correct chocolate brown patina. 2 1/2" wide. Hooks on the back are very strong. Marked 1864 on the back. A great addition to your collection. Please email any questions you may have. A fine old replica. Thanks for looking!"

Source: ebay auction by relichuntersofvirginia, 7/22/06, "Confederate Belt Plate CSA Brass Chocolate Patina 1864 Item number: 160008730980"

Editor note:  This seller sells on ebay auction under "Private Auction" and is frequently the subject of conversation on the NVRHA forum on fakes.  This may be one of the old Bannerman recastings, now aged.  It is highly doubtful this piece can be shown to be authentic.


F1178  Atlanta style CSA
 
"Confederate Civil War CSA Belt Buckle Found in Tennessee!  100% Authentic Guaranteed!  !!!Very Old and Very Collectible!!!  This auction is for a very nice and rare Confederate Civil War Belt Buckle. This belt buckle measures 2 and 1/2 inches wide and 1 and 1/6 inches tall. This is an item from my personal collection and I guarantee that they are 100% Authentic."

Source: ebay auction by waynegrm, 7/16/06 " Civil War Artifacts-Relics-Confederate CSA Belt Buckle *Guaranteed Authentic* *Nice Quality Civil War Relic* Item number: 130007436243"

Editor note, this may be one of the old Bannerman castings. It is highly doubtful this piece can be shown to be authentic.


P0730 CSA Bannerman
P0730.jpg (21378 bytes) P0730B.jpg (23950 bytes)
Measures 41.5mm to 41.9mm (plate is not square) X 61.2mm
This CSA plate was sold in 2001 as part of a large box of plates (there were a couple hundred in the box) claimed to be Bannerman recast plates. There was some original Bannerman paper work suggesting that this plate is an "original" "Bannerman". It is at least 3rd or 4th generation casting. Thousands of these plates were produced in the 1960's or earlier.

Editor Note;  I purchased this plate from a dealer in 2001 for $10, it was advertised as a Bannerman product.  I actually think this may be a copy of one of Bannerman's copies, and not an "original" Bannerman


P0731 CSA Bannerman altered to pass as a fake
P0731.jpg (30879 bytes) P0731B.jpg (31559 bytes)
Measures 46.4mm to 46.8mm (plate is not square X  x 67.5mm
This CSA plate is believed to have been made by Bannerman originally. Along the way, the hooks were cut down and the plate was artificially aged to give it this  nice green patina. Then it was sold on eFake and a novice collector (now a knowledgeable collector, but slightly poorer for the experience) bought it and paid full value for it.  

Editor note:  Plate was given to me by the collector who absorbed this plate to use to educate people so here it is!  I also carry this around to shows, ask to see my fakes box sometime, this one and a bunch of others now on this fakes page are in my box of il repute.


P0732 CSA Bannerman
P0732.jpg (31965 bytes) P0732B.jpg (26948 bytes)
Measures 46mm x 67mm.  

This CSA plate is believed to have been made by Bannerman originally and has not been altered. It was worn by its owner in the 1960's, then passed through an estate. Somewhere along the way, it was said to have been dug, but this plate was never in the ground, in my opinion.

A note about size.  This plate looks to me to be exactly like my item P0731 above but it is slightly smaller in height and slightly larger in width.  All of these cast CSA buckles, authentic ones as well as fakes, and Bannerman reproductions, are hand finished.  The rough edges are filed and it does not take much of this work to change the size of a plate by as much as one mm or fractions of one mm.  Further, even the authentic plates were produced in muli-generations, that is the original pattern would be used to produce a plate, itself then used as a pattern for the next generation, and up to 3 or 4 generations can be produced from the same pattern, each one smaller than the previous.  

There will also be slight differences in the details of the lettering and periods.  The mold is a sand casting off a pattern.  If grit forms, that creates low spots, if grit is removed or rough edges "cleaned up" that creates larger letters, funny looking bumps and serifs etc.  So there will be variations, almost on every plate and there is no way for all of the possible variations, fakes and real,  to ever be captured in any of the books on Civil War plates.

Editor Note:  Plate was submitted to me for analysis.  I told the owner that I thought it is a Bannerman repro.


F1133  CSA rectangle buckle
 
"This is a beautiful example of the Atlanta Arsenal style CSA rectangular belt plate. It measures 70mm x 48mm and is a pretty close match to Plate 084 on page 53 of the expanded volume of Mullinax's book. This plate appears to be all but unused and perhaps unissued. It is made from the typical coppery bronze brass of Confederate castings, shows scattered small casting flaws and light file finishing marks. This came from a defunct GAR collection from Peoria, Illinois some years ago and as such was once painted with a gold wash paint so typical of many GAR collections. The gold paint was their answer to preventing the brass from tarnishing. The gold paint has pretty much worn off the front except in some of the low areas, but the back still retains a good bit of the gold wash, probably because it was protected. The story that came with this was that it was a souvenir picked up by an Illinois soldier in Atlanta after the city fell. No way to document that now. Regardless, it is a nice plate. I'm selling because I'm getting on in years and I have tuition to pay for. Minimal reserve to cover my initial investment. I know there are all those "experts" out there who can discern such a great deal from photographs, who will say this is a repro. OK, it's a repro. Make your own judgement. It came to me from a reputable source and I put it out there for those who might be interested. Buyer pays shipping of $4.50, insurance at your request. The pictures tell the story."

Source: ebay auction by cracktick 7/1/06, "Excellent Atlanta Arsenal Style CSA Rectangular Plate Item number: 320001093367"

Editor note:  This seller sells on ebay auction under "Private Auction" and is frequently the subject of conversation on the NVRHA forum on fakes.  It is highly doubtful this piece can be shown to be authentic.


F1262  CSA Rectangle
F1262.jpg (67705 bytes) F1262B.jpg (65491 bytes) F1262D.jpg (67569 bytes) F1262E.jpg (60656 bytes)
Source:  Pictures of this buckle were submitted to me for evaluation.  I do not have measurements.

Editor note:  I do not know who made this buckle, but it is very sloppy construction, hooks do not seem right.  Without size information, we are guessing, but it is unlikely this buckle can be shown to be authentic.


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