Decorative Officers Piece?

[DD-777]

Decorative Officer's Piece?

Dug this from about 9 inches yesterday at an old homesite built in the late 1700s. Looks to be solid brass but still has some gilt remaining in spots. The gilt is silver and seems pretty thick. It's seven inches long in total and is a touch on the fragile side. The looped end looks familiar (possibly someone posted one here a while back?) but can't place it. At first I was thinking decorative piece for horse tack, but it seems to thin for that. Possibly a decorative piece from an officer's belt - for scabbard? Any help is much appreciated...

 

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[baspinall]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

I replied to this in your "today's finds" as well but I'll go again. I'm dying to find out what this piece is. I found what I believe to be the same thing, or at least part of it. Is there anything that leads you to think it's an officers piece?

This is what I found.

Brian

 

[DD-777]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

Is there anyone with any ideas on this?

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

correct size to be parts of a sword hanger...instead of chain, one decorative link?

 

[DD-777]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

correct size to be parts of a sword hanger...instead of chain, one decorative link?

That's what I was thinking/hoping

Cannot find anything online yet - hoping someone with a CW equipment book chimes in...

 

[Monty]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

Has the look of a horse's bit , but pretty wide for that. Monty

 

[DD-777]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

Has the look of a horse's bit , but pretty wide for that. Monty

Would you think a decorative piece hanging from the actual bit? I really wish I could find a positive i.d. on this...

 

[IronSpike]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

Sorry no further input as to what it is, however wanted to share item I've found.

It's smaller and a different design, but usage appear to be same as yours.

PS

Just noticed that there's 45 pages this forum (cool). Won't be doing any detecting this weekend anyway due to weather.

 

[DD-777]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

That top piece is exactly the same as the one on mine. Very cool! I had this properly i.d.'d last Tuesday by a very well known relic hunter (confirmed by a book as well) - just haven't posted about it. It was identified as a "highly decorative" piece for horse tack (coming off the saddle). Apparently predates the CW era - was told early 1800s. All the book had was a small pic and two sentences. I do wish I could find an actual add of the day ora bit more information on it.

 

[IronSpike]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

That top piece is exactly the same as the one on mine. Very cool! I had this properly i.d.'d last Tuesday by a very well known relic hunter (confirmed by a book as well) - just haven't posted about it. It was identified as a "highly decorative" piece for horse tack (coming off the saddle). Apparently predates the CW era - was told early 1800s. All the book had was a small pic and two sentences. I do wish I could find an actual add of the day ora bit more information on it.

Found a pic of one grouped with CW relics. Your saddle tack ID was early 1800's. Are the other examples CW era or same period as the one DD-777 found?

http://bellsouthpwp.net/t/w/twotenndiggers/civil_war.html

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

Sorry no further input as to what it is, however wanted to share item I've found.

It's smaller and a different design, but usage appear to be same as yours.

PS

Just noticed that there's 45 pages this forum (cool). Won't be doing any detecting this weekend anyway due to weather.

Your left hand end is a gag loop from a horse harness, so the rest of it must be horse related as well.

 

[IronSpike]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

Sorry no further input as to what it is, however wanted to share item I've found.

It's smaller and a different design, but usage appear to be same as yours.

PS

Just noticed that there's 45 pages this forum (cool). Won't be doing any detecting this weekend anyway due to weather.

Your left hand end is a gag loop from a horse harness, so the rest of it must be horse related as well.

But would it be from a saddle?

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

Sorry no further input as to what it is, however wanted to share item I've found.

It's smaller and a different design, but usage appear to be same as yours.

PS

Just noticed that there's 45 pages this forum (cool). Won't be doing any detecting this weekend anyway due to weather.

Your left hand end is a gag loop from a horse harness, so the rest of it must be horse related as well.

But would it be from a saddle?

I don't think so.

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,92960.0.html

Above is another one.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,137809.0.html

Above are them by themselves

 

[IronSpike]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

Thanks Crusader

So quite a date range on these.

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

Thanks Crusader

So quite a date range on these.

On the loop yes, but as its quite a decorative Western Style, I'm sure a horsey expert could narrow it down.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

So, all of the CW relic sites have these incorrectly ID'ed?

Here's one from horsesoldier.com:


http://images.google.com/imgres?img...=/images?q=sword+hanger+relic&hl=en&sa=N&um=1



The Fort Donelson Relics website also had an identical one that was ID'ed as a sword hanger.


I do not have a good relic book on these items. I have been going with the fray on IDing my own finds, as well as others. I have found gag loops before, but thought that these elaborate items were militia related...

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

So, all of the CW relic sites have these incorrectly ID'ed?

Here's one from horsesoldier.com:


http://images.google.com/imgres?img...=/images?q=sword+hanger+relic&hl=en&sa=N&um=1



The Fort Donelson Relics website also had an identical one that was ID'ed as a sword hanger.


I do not have a good relic book on these items. I have been going with the fray on IDing my own finds, as well as others. I have found gag loops before, but thought that these elaborate items were militia related...

Not saying they do, but it would not surprise me one bit.

 

[IronSpike]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

Saddle sword hanger maybe

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...civil+war%22&ndsp=18&hl=en&sa=N&start=36&um=1

Update: Here's another one that was sold as a CW sword hanger. The more I look at these pieces, the less certain I am that that is a correct ID for the items. This one did have good provenance, coming from the Geiselman collection... It is #R11962 in the list, and I included the Google link because it was sold and the full-size photo was no longer posted to their website. Of course, being horse tack does not disprove a CW association... But it also doesn't rule out the possibility of a piece of horse equipment being lost around the Gettysburg area just about anytime before, during, or after the war.

I will be looking at this piece closely in the future. I found one of mine at an old log cabin site where there was not a single other non-ferrous item found. My other example came from a schoolhouse site from the mid-1800s. I would think that these would be a more common find in Civil War camps and battle sites if they were indeed sword hangers.

Regards,


Buckles