Help with an interesting brass plate

[Wallhangers]

Found this tonight on an early site. If you look at the right side of the piece, it tapers down to an edge. Not sure if it was originally this way or if someone converted it into another use. Thanks for your help!

 

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[Diggit]

I think that is a heel plate to a shoe, just worn down...

I walked a beat in a downtown area for a few years, and the heels of one of my boot looked just like that after a while.

 

[CC Hunter]

Your item appears to be a brass heel plate from a 19th century boot. The tapered edge is due to wear caused by use. Originally the piece would have had a more uniform radius edge where there is now wear, and this would have been matching the curve as we may note on the other edge (what we see as the upper top edge next to the measuring ruler).

Judging by the wear, I believe this is from a boot worn on the right foot. We occasionally see the heart, diamond, and club shaped brass heel plates with the cut-out design, recovered from sites dating around the Civil War time period. Your example is a rather unusual pattern featuring a raised cross design, and one I have not seen before. The size, shape, screw mounting holes, and wear pattern though, is a consistent match for a 19th century brass boot heel plate.

CC Hunter

 

[Wallhangers]

You are probably correct on this ID, thanks for the quick ID. I will wait and get more input from others before noting it as solved. I have found many of the other CW era heel plates you mentioned but this one was made a little thicker than those and definitely more decorative. I PM'd you but you beat me to the ID, thanks.

 

[relic lover]

Nice heel plate

 

[CRUSADER]

Its not a heel plate design I have seen before, but that is what it is. Unusual, so I have no date reference, but 19th C seems fine.