CSA Two-Piece Buckle
By John Sexton · Originally published July 2017 · p. 23
Mr. Sexton: Thank you for your response. I am attaching the photos for your perusal with this email. My friend said that the CSA emblem seems to be soldered onto the tang of the buckle. Will Hoffman Dear Will: After speaking with you on the phone concerning such a rare Confederate sword belt plate. I was excited about seeing photos and finally examining it in person. After close perusal and examination, I do not believe the buckle is original but a clever copy. I showed it to several expert dealer/collectors who concurred with my opinion. Steve Mullinax in his text, Confederate Belt Buckles and Plates, shows a loose tongue on this buckle, but the belt loops are 50 mm in height, and yours measure 47mm. This may sound like a small deviation, but when it comes to brass Civil War belt buckles, they typically run about the same size; copies which are made, often in dental molds, have shrinkage of, typically two to three percent, which would be 47-48 mm. The construction does appear in the correct style, though, with a soldered button and the stippling appears quite close to Plate 62 in the
Mullinax text, expanded edition 1999. Originals of this style of buckle were originally gold plated based on the few examples known and pieces dug. This plate does not show any evidence of gilding. There are incredibly well-made reproductions and fakes of many Confederate buckles though I have not seen this example made as a copy or reproduction before. If indeed this buckle were original, its value would be quite high, as the last fine example with good gold plate sold 5 or 6 years ago for $25,000. John is an certified appraiser with International Society of Appraisers specializing in Civil War memorabilia. He authenticates and evaluates other rare and valuable historic items as well. His website is http://www.civilwardealer.com. He is coauthor of the book Confederate Bowie Knives (2012) by Jack Melton, Josh Phillips and John Sexton, that was published by Mowbray Publishing Inc. Send “Ask The Appraiser” questions and photographs to [email protected].
