Illinois Buckle..But What Kind Of Buckle?

[montyhall]

This is a buckle that was found by my hunting buddy. And for a change he didnt get the chance to break it or scratch it, it was already bent in half. As he was trying to straighten it it broke. It has been brased back together. It is made of Brass about 3 inches long, 1 inch thick. It has a dimple background. I can't find an example of it anywhere. Any ideas? Thanks

 

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[DCMatt]

High school shop project? Hard to say. Need better pics - front and back.

DCMatt

 

[montyhall]

some different pictures, resized, hope this helps, thanks!

 

[EDDE]

belt buckle

 

[lucky1777]

I agree with Edde.

 

[montyhall]

We were thinking that it was a belt buckle, but wasn't sure if it was military or not. I couldn't find any example of military like it. Thanks

 

[BuckleBoy]

I have never seen this specific style of belt buckle before...so I feel certain it's not CW--but it could be later by a bit. I will do some checking around for it to see if I can find it anywhere...


By the way, the best way to bend a piece of brass back to its original shape (if you're certain that it isn't anything valuable enough to warrant professional restoration) is to drop the item in a saucepan of boiling water, then bend it a little, then return to the boiling water, then bend a little more... I very seldom have anything break that way, except for very thin pieces of brass.


Regards,



Buckleboy

 

[montyhall]

Thanks, It has the same kind of dimpled background as the Civil War buckle he also found a couple of years ago. That kind of made us think it was from same era.

 

[BuckleBoy]

I think your date range on that buckle is roughly 1850-1900, but still no idea what it is...and still looking.


-Buckles

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

It is indeed a belt-buckle. That type has been found showing various state school names. Its specific form is shown in the O'Donnell-&-Campbell buckle-book as a "School [belt]plate." Under a photo of one on page 523, the book says:
"Popular style of early 20th-century School plate marketed by several firms. The 1916 North & Judd catalogue (New Britain, Conn.) listed these as "College buckles." [...] Thomas Parry & Sons offered these as "College Belt Buckles" during the same period."