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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[CRUSADER]

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

As we know sometimes IDs (wroing ones) become real life myths....
They look like they could be so they probably are etc... I don't think they are & still think they are horse related.

 

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[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

As we know sometimes IDs (wroing ones) become real life myths....
They look like they could be so they probably are etc... I don't think they are & still think they are horse related.

I'm starting to think the same thing...

 

[IronSpike]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

Found mine years ago and remember my first thought was horse tack. As DD-777 a good solid target and rather deep compared other finds same area (thinking early to mid 1800's). Never could place the relic with horse tack, but then again that was before the age of internet. Maybe part of rein hook up for carriage?

How did the small piece on the hook portion serve a function?

 

[beaks]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

it use to hold a sword scabbard and hook to a belt or strap

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

it use to hold a sword scabbard and hook to a belt or strap

That is the usual ID for this piece, which we are questioning here. Do you have any printed resources which identify this piece as a sword hanger?

 

[beaks]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

no printed material. its for a calvery soldiers scabbard.

my mother had a couple in her shop about 35 years ago. (hers were gilded with the swords and sash but still the same thing)

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

no printed material. its for a calvery soldiers scabbard.

my mother had a couple in her shop about 35 years ago. (hers were gilded with the swords and sash but still the same thing)

I guess my point is that I'd love to see a photo of one at some point. I have looked through auction catalogs and reference books and have not seen an example with the sash or without anywhere. But everyone seems to say that is what this is.

 

[IronSpike]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

The hook part most likely bent and the small piece now stuck (I think that's how the piece was connected). Would a sword ever be placed on a saddle?

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

The hook part most likely bent and the small piece now stuck (I think that's how the piece was connected). Would a sword ever be placed on a saddle?

Good question. I have no idea.

 

[beaks]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

i checked out some of mothers pictures and the mounts are close but not exactly the same so im going to check around some more to make sure.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

i checked out some of mothers pictures and the mounts are close but not exactly the same so im going to check around some more to make sure.

Thank you so much for helping out with this.

 

[allen]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

maybe a pot or plant holder ??

 

[IronSpike]

Re: Decorative Officer's Piece?

Or maybe horse tack to 'park' ?

Side reins?