Colonial Era Clipped Cornered Breast Plate (?)

[GaRebel1861]

I was invited back over to Coastal Georgia this past weekend and found what I thought might be a breast plate. It was found on the same lot as the 1798 Cent that I posted a couple of weeks ago. There's also been several flat buttons and other period items found here. This plate was down about 12" and was covered with oyster shells. So far, I have not been able to put a positive I.D. on it. I did read here that one similar was found and thought to be off of a trunk. Mine has no markings and wouldn't have much use on a trunk. Thoughts?

 

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[Steve in PA]

Those plates seem to be an enigma. Some of the experts say they are off trunks, but nobody can come up with pictures of them on period trunks. Yours has eight attachment hooks, most I've seen have six, and are not typical for breastplates. Here is one I found with engraved initials and six hooks.

 

[CRUSADER]

I'm in the 'not' plate camp. More like a horse blinker or brass.

 

[GaRebel1861]

I'm in the 'not' plate camp. More like a horse blinker or brass.

I gotta ask. What is a horse blinker? Could you show me a picture of one so I understand what these were actually used for?

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Interesting piece! I sure hope one of our experts ID the relic!

 

[smallfoot]

If he's speaking of horse blinders or blinkers....

 

[GaRebel1861]

If he's speaking of horse blinders or blinkers....

Thanks for the picture! I can’t see the piece that I found being used for that though. I gotta admit that it’s one of those finds that keeps you looking for an answer. - Another fun part of this hobby.

 

[smokeythecat]

I found a similar one a couple years ago and it's posted here somewhere. I doubt it's a horse blinker piece as they would have been made of cloth to the best of my knowledge. There is quite a debate as to whether they were colonial shoulder belt plates or put on other kinds of leather. Mine was found 2' from a house foundation, so I doubt it was used on anything but a personal item. Nice, nice find. With those kinds of studs in the back, I'd say it was mounted to leather or cloth, not wood.

 

[CRUSADER]

I gotta ask. What is a horse blinker? Could you show me a picture of one so I understand what these were actually used for?

Horse
Scroll down on this page. They are a rectangle brass plate that went on the pair of leather blinkers, these were used to keep the horse's eye to the front, & not to the sides where they may get spooked.

 

[CRUSADER]

I found a similar one a couple years ago and it's posted here somewhere. I doubt it's a horse blinker piece as they would have been made of cloth to the best of my knowledge. There is quite a debate as to whether they were colonial shoulder belt plates or put on other kinds of leather. Mine was found 2' from a house foundation, so I doubt it was used on anything but a personal item. Nice, nice find. With those kinds of studs in the back, I'd say it was mounted to leather or cloth, not wood.

Wrong, most leather blinkers had a brass the same size & shape of the one posted. Plenty of horse's still use them today (the ones at Country fairs, showing the old farming techniques), but it was mainly a 19th C thing. Many had the initials of the owners on them.

 

[CRUSADER]

I found a similar one a couple years ago and it's posted here somewhere. I doubt it's a horse blinker piece as they would have been made of cloth to the best of my knowledge. There is quite a debate as to whether they were colonial shoulder belt plates or put on other kinds of leather. Mine was found 2' from a house foundation, so I doubt it was used on anything but a personal item. Nice, nice find. With those kinds of studs in the back, I'd say it was mounted to leather or cloth, not wood.

Like this.

 

[freddytoo]

I'm convinced, it's a horse blinker.

 

[Steve in PA]

Horse
Scroll down on this page. They are a rectangle brass plate that went on the pair of leather blinkers, these were used to keep the horse's eye to the front, & not to the sides where they may get spooked.

Could be...but all of those examples have bosses with wire attachments for cloth. The clipped corner examples I've seen have 6 to 8 heavy prongs for leather.

 

[CRUSADER]

Could be...but all of those examples have bosses with wire attachments for cloth. The clipped corner examples I've seen have 6 to 8 heavy prongs for leather.

All the ones I find have the same type of prongs for leather, so don't understand your point. (other than most examples I've seen have 4-6 prongs)

 

[Steve in PA]

All the ones I find have the same type of prongs for leather, so don't understand your point. (other than most examples I've seen have 4-6 prongs)

From your link, http://www.8472.co.uk/misc_horse.htm, all the examples have the boss with embedded wire attachments rather than integrally cast prongs like we see on the clipped corner examples.
Anundecorated rectangular cast copper-alloy blinker or saddle brass withincurved chamfered corners. The recessed back has six moulded bosseswhich have embedded copper-alloy attachment wires.

 

[Toecutter]

The plate seems to big for horse blinders...

 

[GaRebel1861]

Horse
Scroll down on this page. They are a rectangle brass plate that went on the pair of leather blinkers, these were used to keep the horse's eye to the front, & not to the sides where they may get spooked.

Thank you for showing me what the horse blinker looks like. I got to admit I have very little knowledge about colonial relics because there are none where I live. I have to travel to the east side of Georgia to hunt this type of site. So, I’m learning. I did notice that the back of the ones that you showed are much different from the one that I found.

 

[CRUSADER]

Thank you for showing me what the horse blinker looks like. I got to admit I have very little knowledge about colonial relics because there are none where I live. I have to travel to the east side of Georgia to hunt this type of site. So, I’m learning. I did notice that the back of the ones that you showed are much different from the one that I found.

I'm not stating 100% that these are horse blinkers, only that its a possibility, the same as the trunk theory. What we do know is they attached to leather. I don't believe the plate story, & hopefully one day a better reference will be found. At the moment they are a mystery.

Yes, the prongs do have differences but still function in the same way, & are the same depth.

 

[DCMatt]

Other threads discussing these plates:

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/today-s-finds/225416-buckle-button-axe.html

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/revolutionary-war/229566-trunk-plates-time-re-examine.html

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/revolutionary-war/138918-rev-civil-war-site.html

I'm sure there are additional threads...

 

[Steve in PA]

I'm not stating 100% that these are horse blinkers, only that its a possibility, the same as the trunk theory. What we do know is they attached to leather. I don't believe the plate story, & hopefully one day a better reference will be found. At the moment they are a mystery.

Yes, the prongs do have differences but still function in the same way, & are the same depth.

The thing that continues to baffle me is considering the frequency that they turn up in the ground, to my knowledge, one has never turned up attached to a period piece of leather!