Pre Civil War militia belt plate and cotton web belt. The belt measures 33 1/2" long and 2 1/4" wide. It has a leather piece sewn on to fasten the belt plate to, similar to the linen weapons slings utilized by the south. The cloth belt is in great shape with very little staining. It had a sewn on shoulder strap, but the strap is broken and in pretty rough condition. The clip corner sheet iron plate was utilized by state militias from the 1840's through 1860. All three attachment hooks are present on the back of the plate. There are some letters scratched on the front of the plate, but I can not make them out clearly. While the belt and plate are authentic, I do not believe they have been together long. The plate appears to have been excavated and put on the belt long after the war ended. The belt came with a history of being from Virginia. While it may not be the center piece of your collection, it still makes a great representation of a pre Civil War militia belt rig.

Item # AA564

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