🔎 UNIDENTIFIED ornate small silver buckle? GW letters on the back

[Tom Slikes53]

I just found this yesterday, it appears to be solid silver, and can anyone tell me what it is and what the initials ? GW stand for ?

 

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[worldtalker]

I just found this yesterday, it appears to be solid silver, and can anyone tell me what it is and what the initials ? GW stand for ?

View attachment 2079437

https://presearch.com/images?q=silver%20colonial%20Knee%20buckle

Knee buckle,1700s.

 

[Tom Slikes53]

https://presearch.com/images?q=silver%20colonial%20Knee%20buckle

Knee buckle,1700s.

thank you, is there any significance to the initials "GW" I think we all know what person comes to mind.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Probably the initials of the person who made the buckle. Look up 1700's silversmith hallmarks from your state.

 

[pepperj]

It might take some digging into where it was made in America or England
Here's a great link to the US maker's marks and silversmiths. (164 pages of info)
There's many that would fit the initials GW, and not having a die mark (examples shown in photo) it harder to narrow down.
The W might help in the way it's scripted.

https://ia800703.us.archive.org/24/items/listofearlyameri00fren/listofearlyameri00fren.pdf

 

[CRUSADER]

We will never know who G W was because its incised into the metal & not stamped like a Makers Mark, so you can't exclude the owner doing this post-purchase.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

We will never know who G W was because its incised into the metal & not stamped like a Makers Mark, so you can't exclude the owner doing this post-purchase.

Many U.S. silversmiths used crude makers marks. I doubt if the owner did that to their buckle.

 

[CRUSADER]

Many U.S. silversmiths used crude makers marks. I doubt if the owner did that to their buckle.

Is there a published list of these crude marks?

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Is there a published list of these crude marks?

Here's a good reference book of early Amercian silversmith hallmarks. I don't see the "G.W." hallmark, but I'm sure this book is far from complete.

https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/listofearlyameri00fren

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I do see quite a few silversmiths that could be the "G.W." in question. It would help if the OP told us where he lives. Anyway, here's a list of "G.W." silversmiths in the book that did not have a hallmark pictured in the book.

George Walker from Philadelphia (circa 1796)
George Waterman from Albany, NY (circa 1849)
George Webb from Baltimore ( circa 1850)
George Welles from Boston & CT (circa 1784-1827)
George Wilson from Philadelphia (circa 1819)

 

[Tom Slikes53]

I do see quite a few silversmiths that could be the "G.W." in question. It would help if the OP told us where he lives. Anyway, here's a list of "G.W." silversmiths in the book that did not have a hallmark pictured in the book.

George Walker from Philadelphia (circa 1796)
George Waterman from Albany, NY (circa 1849)
George Webb from Baltimore ( circa 1850)
George Welles from Boston & CT (circa 1784-1827)
George Wilson from Philadelphia (circa 1819)

thank you for your interest, I found the buckle in Indiana county, western Pennsylvania