✅ SOLVED Buckle tongue, flying eagle grasping shield

Bedrock Bryan

Full Member
Mar 14, 2015
131
289
Oregon and Central to Northern CA
Detector(s) used
CTX 3030, Minelab X-Terra 70, Minelab GP3500, Goldbug 2, Deus...high frequency and stock coils, Equinox 800, and Minelab Gold Monster 1000.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Need help, found a similar one on California relic adventures, Mark and Ron. But the one I found is reverse eagle with no stars and writing apparent. This example is very roached/beat up. It is between 28 and 30mm. I will post a screen shot of Mark and Ron's example, mine is the obvious beat up one. P.S. Went to relic man aka Mr Ridgeway's site which has helped me with my 21 star drooped winged eagle tongue...did not see my current buckle in question. Any help appreciated. Also like to say was found in California , Sierra County, early 1850s site. ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1454210539.706123.jpg
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1454210598.900993.jpg
 

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if you do a google image search using the term 'gold rush tongue and wreath buckles', at least three identical ones come up. however, none of them have any information other than attributing the buckle to the 1850's gold rush era.
 

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if you do a google image search using the term 'gold rush tongue and wreath buckles', at least three identical ones come up. however, none of them have any information other than attributing the buckle to the 1850's gold rush era.

Thank you, I'm still learning how to figure stuff out. Someone out there my have more details on these type of tongue buckles, like the different manufactures etc.
 

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Beautiful piece ! :occasion14:
 

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You may already know this, but just in case... your buckle-tongue's "flying-eagle-with-shield" emblem is seen on 2nd-half-of-the-1800s New York State Militia uniform buttons and belt-buckles.
 

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Congrats Bryan! What you have is indeed most of the tongue portion to the stamped brass "High Domed Flying Eagle" T & W buckle. Other collectors of these T & W buckles refer to as, the "flipped over eagle". My good friend Max Bell has this listed in his book of California Gold Rush Buckles as the high domed flying eagle. It is indeed a Gold Rush find and I have attached a pic. of a complete buckle from my collection of this buckle. Just remember, like buttons, there were variants of a lot of these T & W buckles.

IM
 

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IRONMAN!, Thank you very much. Love the attached photo, I will be returning to the site where I found this tongue when the snow melts and pound on it more. The site is loaded with iron so I have been using a 6" DD 18.75 on my X-terra 70. It is risky but I use a light duty pick with a 90# rated magnet for unmasking because the iron trash is extreme. I was PMed earlier by an other member on this forum and he was agreement with what you have posted.....SOLVED Thanks All... PS I would like to purchase the book by Max Bell, still searching with no results yet, any help acquiring this book would be much appreciated.
 

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Your other stamped brass buckle tongue disc in question is also another buckle tongue found in gold rush camps. Attached is a complete buckle for your reference. Nice find and one I can actually say I have not found yet!

IM
 

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IRONMAN!....Once again thank you for your help and complements.
 

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Thanks Ron, someday we will have to get together and do some show and tell on some of the great finds that have been found in the great state of California.
 

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