🥇 BANNER Did I Really Find a War of 1812 British Hat Badge Today!?

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I was on my way back from working a few days in Ottawa today and decided to stop for a quick 2hr hunt at a site where I've already had some success at finding War of 1812 relics! This site has been pounded to death by at least a half dozen others over the past 4 - 5 years, so I'm happy just to get any scrap of a relic they might have left behind! Well today it seems they left something really big for me to find! I found the large brass cruet stand base first, then the brass harness buckle. There was a ton of trash to get through on this area, so I took my time and dug anything that gave a solid non-ferrous reading, hence all of the trash.

I then got a solid 85 - 86 at 8" and thought ... "wow this must be big" then out of the hole came the hat badge! I dropped down to my knees, knowing full well what I had just found and all I could say was OMG, OMG, OMG, please let this be real! I had to take a quite a number of insitue pictures, as all the pics were coming out blurry because my hands kept shaking.

I will leave this to the experts here to help me I.D. exactly what this plate is. I can tell you that it's solid, heavy and still has some of the leather / felt on the back!

Thanks for looking,
Dave

Update

This piece is a Victorian Period (1837 - 1901) British Army Mounted Officer’s Breastplate/Martingale Badge

"This is a general service pattern, pre-1902 martingale badge, which seems to have featured a Guelphic crown, perhaps in association with Prince Albert. They were worn across the horse's chest. This would have been worn on the chest of the horse held by three straps, two on either side of its flanks from beneath the saddle with a third, central strap, running beneath the horses' chest to the girth strap. The strap originally attached the underside of the noseband to the girth, in order to keep the horse's head down. Either the badge or the leather pad on which it sits is in many cases heart shaped, reflecting that it (the badge) sits over the horses’ heart. There were also regimental versions and the crown changed with the sovereign, just as with cap badges and other insignia. Invariably martingale badges took the same 'garter' shape as that adopted as a template for Glengarry badges and, similarly, the centre often bore a unit motif."
Thanks again for your help on the I.D. Rick!

Here are a couple of pics of the piece after a light brushing with combination of beeswax & paraffin wax.

 

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[doc-d]

It is an awesome find, more so give the area is pounded by MD's……..congratulations…..

 

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[Zodiacdiverdave]

Congrats Dave, that sure is a beauty. It would make a wonderful centerpiece of any display cabinet, great find. You sould give that site a serious going over, there could be alot more goodies left there by the other MDers.
ZDD

 

[ironhorse]

That's a winner of a find. Well done!

I'm sure it will make a great centrepiece in your display

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Think that one will date into the Victorian era as I've seen similar before. Still a very nice find though.

Thanks for your post I.P.!
As always, your assessment of the relics time period was bang on!
Dave

Wow, Dave! That thing is huge! Congrats on what seems to be a very favorited find by you

Thanks very much Dave!
It is what it is right? ... I wish it was something else, but it's still pretty darn good!
Dave

very nice, cool!

Thank you Sir!

Def. too big heavy for a hat badge, In the last couple of minutes I came up with a very similar, but is a horse decoration.
Martingale brestplate.
Royalty Memorabilia Horse Brass Victoria and Edward VII

Near the bottom of that page.
I'll keep looking.

Agree with IP, nice find.

Thanks again for your input and for the I.D. Rick!
Not near as nice as a silver colonial spoon, but I'll take it!
Dave

even as a late 1800s find...that one is a nice one!

Thanks very much Dan!
Best of luck to you,
Dave

That is a beautiful hat badge Dave! Too bad it's not War of 1812, but still a nice find that will be the centerpiece of any display.

I still can't believe I found this with all the trash I had to dig to find it buddy!
But that just makes the find that much sweeter right!
Thanks for your post my friend,
Dave

 

[unfound]

Thanks buddy!
You know how it is ... when you want something to be really big and it turns out to only be somewhat big.

Dave

Every time I look down !!!

I wouldn't be able to take pictures at all, I'd be shaking so bad if I found that !!! I can picture myself ending the hunt right there and running for the truck so I could get it all cleaned up and find out what it was.

 

[I-DIG-IT]

Nice Digs.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Why sad ? It's military, it's officers to boot, probably a 100 similar hat badges to 1 of these, I'd be quite happy indeed.

I like trashy (or thick with targets) sites.

Your words of praise made me feel much better about my find!
Thanks again Rick,
Dave

I would be pumped to add that to my collection. It's an great find regardless of age. Congrats.

Thanks very much for your kind words and your post Greylock!
Dave

WOW WOW Dave that badge is beautiful and very collectable ! What an awesome addition to your collection !1 Congradulations ! MaineRelic !

Thanks very much my friend!
I have given it a light coat of a beeswax & paraffin wax mixture, this helps to even out the patina ... I'll post pics later tonight!
Dave

Wow !!! Super find Dave ! Congrats
Glen

Thanks Glen!
Best of luck to you this weekend,
Dave

That thing's beautiful! Just imagine the last person who saw that was pinning it to his uniform over a century ago!

Thanks very much for your post UnderMiner!
I found out last night that this is actually what i like to call 'horse decoration'.
This was attached to a leather strap that when across the horses chest ... at least it was on an officers horse!
Dave

 

[ATpro5]

It may not be war of 1812, but is still a great find. And boy it sure cleaned up good!

 

[Scrappy]

The flowing script and look is definitely time-period. Absolutely amazing find!

Awesome!

Sent from my iPhone using TreasureNet

 

[qaela4]

Beautiful piece! Congrats!

 

[BullBat]

Antiquarian...

Just want to make sure you saw this one. It's the 7th Queen's Own Hussars coat of arms, British Cavalry Badge. The unit was in Canada 1838-1839 involved in the "Aroostook War," the bloodless conflict (settled through diplomacy) that determined the boundary of Maine with Canada. ( Busacca Gallery - British Royal Military Bronze Garter Badge Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense )

The crown has slightly different details but the rest is similar to yours. It being dated c1857, might be different because yours could be of an earlier date.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Antiquarian...

Just want to make sure you saw this one. It's the 7th Queen's Own Hussars coat of arms, British Cavalry Badge. The unit was in Canada 1838-1839 involved in the "Aroostook War," the bloodless conflict (settled through diplomacy) that determined the boundary of Maine with Canada. ( Busacca Gallery - British Royal Military Bronze Garter Badge Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense )

The crown has slightly different details but the rest is similar to yours. It being dated c1857, might be different because yours could be of an earlier date.

Wow!
Thank you very much for this information and for the picture BullBat! The piece that you have pictured looks almost identical to the one that I found. I've never heard of the "Aroostook War", in fact I drove across the Maine / Quebec border back in May as my company is based in Bangor. It's such a hilly and heavily wooded area, it hardly seems worth fighting over. But I guess 175 years ago tensions between the US and 'Lower Canada' were still somewhat strained following the War of 1812 which had concluded only 25 years earlier.

I'm hoping to get back to this site on Tuesday (weather permitting) for a good 4 - 5hr hunt this time, depending on how hot it is as there's no shade on the site.
Thanks again for your interest and the info, best of luck to you!
Dave

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

BANNER VOTE.

I just did a T-net search, and no other has EVER been dug, nothing even close to this. The only other martingales were not military, only "hearts" or severly damaged items. This is Military, and in perfect condition. Therefore it is def. a rare dig.

So people lets give this NEVER BEFORE POSTED rare dig it's place on the banner. It does deserve it.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

BANNER VOTE.

I just did a T-net search, and no other has EVER been dug, nothing even close to this. The only other martingales were not military, only "hearts" or severly damaged items. This is Military, and in perfect condition. Therefore it is def. a rare dig.

So people lets give this NEVER BEFORE POSTED rare dig it's place on the banner. It does deserve it.

Thanks again for all the interest and attention you've brought to my find Rick!
It's nice to hear you say that, "no other has EVER been dug, nothing even close to this. The only other martingales were not military, only "hearts" or severly damaged items.
This is Military, and in perfect condition."

Let's just hope other members are interested to seeing this piece up top as well!
Dave

 

[BullBat]

I've never heard of the "Aroostook War", in fact I drove across the Maine / Quebec border back in May as my company is based in Bangor. It's such a hilly and heavily wooded area, it hardly seems worth fighting over.

You described exactly why the conflict occurred, because of the importance of the fur trade in that kind of country at that time. The War of 1812 never set a boundary for Maine so this "war" drew that line.

I also had not heard of the Aroostook War until I researched your garter badge.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

You described exactly why the conflict occurred, because of the importance of the fur trade in that kind of country at that time. The War of 1812 never set a boundary for Maine so this "war" drew that line.

I also had not heard of the Aroostook War until I researched your garter badge.

Very cool stuff bull!
It's amazing the bits of little known history we learn about here on Tnet!
Dave

 

[CRUSADER]

That is one of the coolest things I have seen you dig, its in lovely condition - CONGRATS

 

[Silver Searcher]

Very nice all round, complete and the condition.

SS

 

[Ahab8]

Dave the more I look at this incredible detailed piece and it's condition the more I realize this belongs up top. It's obviously a very scarce find and in beautiful condition. You did a fantastic job on it as well. That will be gorgeous in a display and I am voting banner my friend. Very happy to see you find such an incredible piece, Abe

 

[antique man]

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