✅ SOLVED Found old buckle...

[Beepbeep13]

Any idea what it was used for?

 

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[Rob in KS]

I'm going to guess a bridle or a harness. Looks like horse tack to me.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

It is (definitely) a civilian horse-harness buckle shield (buckle cover). The specific version you found was invented by David Mosman of New Britain CT and patented by him in 1879. See the diagram from his US Patent below, and a specimen of your buckle shield marked with Mosman's patent-date, and an advertisement for it in the 1895 Montgomery Ward mail-order catalog..

 

[Sticks907]

Cannon Ball Guy, You are awesome ...

 

[Beepbeep13]

Wow! Thanks much Cannonball!!! Now that's a definition! That's incredible - I love the reaction of my friends and family when I post something and get a solid, knowledgeable answer like that, they really are amazed , and so am I

Thanks again!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Sticks907 and Beepbeep13, I've been a civil war relic digger for 40 years, and a relic-dealer almost that long. As a dealer, I felt an obligation to do the necessary ID-research to make sure I was not misidentifying what I was selling. In particular, I did not want to be selling postwar-era or Civilian stuff as being a civil war Military relic. (You'll see an enormous amount of that on Ebay.) Also, way back when I was a nobody newcomer to this hobby, a couple of "oldtimer" relic experts generously gave me a LOT of free ID-help. The only way to repay their kindness to me is to do for others what they did for me. That is why I post mostly in the What-Is-It forum.

 

[Beepbeep13]

Cannonball, we (as in the not so savvy relic IDer's) really appreciate the time you take to make an ID. All I can say is thanks to the generation before us that was generous enough to take the time to share their knowledge with you. I like the trend!!!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Keep on reading and learning in the What-Is-it forum, daily. "As you are now, I once was. As I am now, you shall be."

 

[gman7665]

Nice keeper to add to the Buckle collection... I really enjoy T-Net and am a one year rookie at this hobby, Have learned a great deal on here and especially from "CannonballGuy" ...