Indian Wars Era Belt Buckle find

[KansasDigger]

Hello, i dug up this what i believe to be an Indian Wars Era belt buckle on my property earlier this week, oldest relic i've found so far on my property and was wondering if it would be smart to try and get the corrosion off it and clean it up to it's original (Brass?) or should i just leave it with it as is. I want to keep it so not really caring about a sale value but i would like to display it in my collection if possible cleaned up. I've been finding a lot of older relics since i've upgraded to a Garrett AT Pro from a Garret Ace 150 and in any other good future finds would like to know if people try to clean relics up or if it's even worth it for display purposes for find collections. Thanks for any input!
(My location is Miami County, Kansas for anyone wondering where this was dug)

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[Blak bart]

Holy cow....that's incredible !! congrats that is one heck of a buckle !!

 

[Blak bart]

Leave as is !!

 

[smallfoot]

Clean the loose stuff off of it but leave the patina. It's always up to the finder tho. Most would say you're gonna lose value if you clean it, but if you plan on keeping it, make yourself happy..

 

[tamrock]

What great historical find... Congratulations.

 

[Ccarson]

Wow. That’s a beautiful piece.

 

[KansasDigger]

Clean the loose stuff off of it but leave the patina. It's always up to the finder tho. Most would say you're gonna lose value if you clean it, but if you plan on keeping it, make yourself happy..

How would be the most responsible/proficient way of cleaning a relic like this at keeping the up most condition, electrolysis or scrubing with a toothbrush?

 

[Digger RJ]

Very Very Nice!!! Congrats!!!

 

[Argentium]

Great relic ! Nice patina too...

 

[Steve in PA]

That is actually Civil War era based on the narrow tongue on the back and an officers based on the cast in wreath versus the applied wreath that enlisted men used.
Nice find I wouldn't clean it any further.

 

[CoilyGirl]

Love it and I agree with Steve in Pa.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Congrats on the killer relic! IMHO, I would not clean the find.

 

[Fullstock]

Yep, that’s a Civil War era officers saber belt plate. Nice find!

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

How would be the most responsible/proficient way of cleaning a relic like this at keeping the up most condition, electrolysis or scrubing with a toothbrush?

In the case of this, a great buckle, is to treasure-it, as is....
Yeah knock of the dirt with your fingers, but don't clean it,
it is in near mint condition, as is...!
Be proud of finding a beautiful, historical, meaningful relic of our Nation's past...!
Again..., Super Find...!

 

[Squirrel322]

BEAUTIFUL

 

[lenmac65]

Great buckle. My preservation skills stink, so I would not risk ruining such a fine looking buckle. Congrats!

 

[Trezurehunter]

Excellent find. On the one I found, (see my avatar) I brushed it with a fine toothbrush, just enough to get the dirt off. I would leave the patina on, and don't use any chemicals on it trying to clean it any further. I always like to leave and display my finds, as they come out of the ground (except for cleaning the dirt).

 

[smallfoot]

How would be the most responsible/proficient way of cleaning a relic like this at keeping the up most condition, electrolysis or scrubing with a toothbrush?

My use of electrolysis is for my iron finds. I've tried on junk coins found underground with only iffy success. Some people say it doesn't do any good on non-ferrous and some people say it does. If you screw up polarity, you can ruin some quickly! Don't ask..

 

[smallfoot]

I'm with Trezurehunter. A Brush is all that needs with naybe a little dawn liquid in warm water. It looks pretty good in the pix but I think I see some crusties that could be removed easy enough. Congrats on that found, it's in really good shape!

 

[fistfulladirt]

Nice-ness!