Early Militia Buckles and Plates

T15 Large- U.S. Oval Belt Plate Copy of the 1200th belt plate dug by G. W. Dinwiddie Court House, Va.

I dug my first US belt plate in 1955 and shown is my 1200th belt plate I dug in 1986. Add the Eagle breast plates and the total will be over 2000. From 1987-2016 I dug a couple hundred more. Got to remember I was digging when there were very few other relic hunters and was the first to dig in some campsites.

TG-US Solid Cast (Ohio Regiment) Belt Plate. Type found used by The Army of TN. Circa 1861

Cast Arrow Hooks cast with this US Belt Plate.

TG-15(B) Large U.S. Belt Plate (variant) original dug by the late Fred Stevens, Fredricksburg, VA

G. W. and Fred Stevens at the Richmond relic show in the 60's. Fred is one of the old time diggers .

TG -15 (C) Large U.S. Belt Plate (variant) Original dug by Ronnie Mantlo, Cold Harbor, Va.

T-16 U.S. Belt Plate ( Small ) Circa 1839-1861 Original dug Cold Harbor VA. SOLID BRASS NOT LEAD FILLED

Original Solid Cast US Belt Plate. Used by Ohio Regiment, The Army of TN. Dug TN. Battlefield. Circa 1861

Back of the original cast US with arrow type cast hooks.

G-13 U.S. Belt Plate ( Medium ) Circa 1840 Original dug by me at Cold Harbor VA. on the right. SOLID BRASS NOT LEAD FILLED

General Grant and his Staff at Cold Harbor, June 3rd 1864. Grant ordered the June 3rd morning charge and seven thousand fell in twenty minutes. A big mistake.

"The Plainsman" 1936 with Gary Cooper. Is Gabby wearing a original U S or one from the costume company.

TG-GWUS US Two Piece Belt Plate. Circa 2016. Takes a 1/2 or 1 inch belt. This is a GW creation.

Ronnie Mantlo 1968. Ronnie just dug a tin dinner plate and remains of the union soldiers knapsack in the Cold Harbor trench with his homemade detector. He dug his first relic in 1960.

Early photo of Jackson wearing a US Artillery two piece.

Original Medium U.S. dug by me at Cold Harbor VA.

Union Soldier with American Flag

1940 Garthright House, Cold Harbor,VA. Used as a field hospital June 1864.

T-14 US Artillery Two Piece Belt Plate The T-14A is a new pattern that I just used as a master this year (2007). I have used the T-14 since 1969 and still use it today. The difference is in the (S). Note the S at the top is not as defined as the new pattern but other than that they are both the same style. Both are cast from my original belt plate

1862 Cold Harbor Tavern. The original name was Cool Arbor Tavern, a place to spend the night. The Union Soldiers called it Cold Harbor and it was July hot and not cold, no ocean for a hundred miles for a harbor.

T-14A US Artillery Two Piece Belt Plate Circa 1833

Mike O'Donnell, friend, relic hunter and the guy who writes all the relic information books, buckle book pictured, just dug an oval U S belt plate like the T-15 reproduction.

TG- Storms14 US Artillery Belt Plate original dug White Oak Swamp, Va. (1862 Seven Days Battle) Circa 1839

TG-(Converted)US. US Artillery (Converted) Two Piece . Original dug Malvern Hill.

Belt bar on the TG-Storms14 has Storm stamped into the top edge

TG-AmesEagle(2) Eagle Ames Two Piece Belt Plate. Circa 1860-1870

TG- Ordnance Snake Belt Plate.

TG-US (Officers) US Artillery Two Piece Belt Plate Circa 1834

TG-Square US Two Piece. Circa 1850's.

TG-US(Officers-2) US Infantry Two Piece Belt Plate Circa 1834 original dug Atlanta, Ga.

Nip Warriner was one of the first relic hunters in the Richmond, VA area. This photo was taken in 1959 for a Richmond newspaper article. I was there when this picture was taken. My first machine was the Fisher M Scope just like the one Nip has in the photo. Nip worked for the Virginia Historical Society in the 1950's.

GW digging relics 2014. Using my custom twenty two inch search coil.

TG-US(Officers-3) US Two Piece Belt Plate Circa 1845

Lincoln at Berkeley Plantation 1862 after the Seven Days Battle before Richmond. The Union army camped here July-August and the blue uniform replaced the militia uniforms. Also Taps was written here. In the 1950's I was one of the first to relic hunt here. You would not believe a days relic hunt here.

TG-CS Artillery Enlisted Belt Plate. Circa 1861-1865. Original dug Cold Harbor and displayed in my Cold Harbor Museum

G -12 U.S. Two Piece Musicians and Flag Bearers wore this type buckle Circa 1860-1885

Seven Pines, VA the Twin Houses

TG-UnionA Artillery Two Piece. Circa 1861. Original dug Berkeley Plantation.

Photo: Civil War Musicians and Flag Bearers wearing this buckle.

Civil War Soldier wearing the TG-1832 NCO Belt Plate

Reproduction 1960's 1832 Artillery Belt Plate.

If this 1832 belt plate has RD-NY stamped in the back it is a 1960's reproduction. The original 1832 is not stamped. Several different reproduction types were made but all has this RD-NY stamped in the back.

G- 22 U.S. Musicians Belt Plate Circa 1890-1910

TG-1832 Infantry NCO, Belt Plate Circa 1832 - 1839

TG - 1832 Artillery Enlisted, Belt Plate Circa 1832-1839

TG-Artillery Sword Belt Plate applied silver wreath circa 1861

TG-A(Eagle Artillery) Two Piece Belt Plate Original dug Cold Harbor, Va..

Artillery two piece belt plate I dug in the Confederate trench line where the 7th New York made the charge. Dug from the confederate trench and I believe a confederate soldier was wearing this plate. Still has leather belt in the belt bars. I dug many relic out of this trench line.

Dug from deep in the Confederate trench and I believe a Confederate soldier was wearing this plate. Still has leather belt in the belt bars. I dug many relic out of this trench line.

TG- (2) Ordnance Two Piece Belt Plate Circa 1845

Fort Darling Drewry's Bluff 1864.

"TEXAS RISING" Officer wearing the T-1 Militia two piece belt plate.

Fort Darling Drewry's Bluff 2008, photo by Bart Maham

TG-1812 Eagle Two Piece Belt Plate

TG-1(Eagle Infantry) Two Piece Belt Plate Circa 1851

TG-1846 Ordnance Two Piece Belt Plate Circa 1846-1860

TG-Rect. Ordnance Belt Plate Circa 1862

Original Ordnance belt plate

G-1 Early Militia Infantry Two Piece Belt Plate Circa 1835

TG-1 Early Militia (Infantry) Two Piece Belt Plate "original style/five sections & silver plated" All the belt plates will have GW/HBF stamped into the bar.

Original of the TG-1845 Early Militia two piece

G-3 Early Militia Two-Piece Sword Belt Plate Circa 1851

TG-EMCa. 1850 Early Militia Two Piece Belt Plate Found in a California gold mine camp.

G-2 Early Militia Two Piece Circa 1850

Union soldier wearing this type G-2 belt plate

T3 - Early Militia Two Piece. Circa - 1851 Original found Petersburg, VA. I dug this two piece belt plate in a confederate campsite back in the 1960's. Use it for my master pattern.

TG-3BS Early Militia Two Piece. Red Brass- Circa - 1851

TG-5 Militia Officers Two Piece Circa 1851 - 1855

TG-55 Militia Officers Two Piece Circa - 1851

TG -5(2) Early Militia Two Piece (Variant) Circa 1851-1855

TG- 7 Rect Tongue Militia Officers Two Piece circa 1845 (original look with silver plate)

TG-TP (Oval Eagle) Two Piece Belt Plate Circa-1845

TG-TP2 (Oval Eagle) Two Piece Belt Plate Circa 1835

Beautiful original on leather of the T-3 Militia two piece.

TG-1840 Early Militia (Officers) Two Piece Belt Plate Circa 1835

TG-1845 Early Militia Two Piece Belt Plate Officers

TG-1831 Early Militia Two Piece Belt Plate. Variant. Aged to have the original look. I can finish the buckles any way you want. Yellow or red brass. Nickel Silver shown.

TG-1833 Early Militia Two Piece Belt Plate Variant

TG-1837 Militia Officers Two Piece Belt Plate circa 1830

G-4 Early Militia Two Piece Circa 1861

T-1 Early Militia Two Piece Circa 1835 Original found Seven Pines VA

T-shirt given to me by the people that made all my custom metal detectors.

TG-Eagle Sash Two Piece Belt Plate

Large artillery shells along the front of a early 1900's relic shop, Vicksburg.

Eagle Sash buckle was dug from the Cold Harbor Union main trench line.

Cold Harbor 1865. Recovering the remains. 7000 fell here in twenty minutes. For the short time Cold Harbor is the bloodiest battle in American history.

Also in the same hole was a Burnside cartridge with remains of a Maryland newspaper placed inside that tells of Captain Ellery killed in battle. Several U S buckles and plates, four nice canteens and several hundred bullets were also dug from this hole. You could see the remains of newspapers on the items dug.

Old customer in front of my dad's store front 1948. In the 1960's I turned this into a Civil War relic shop.

TG-(Ames-Eagle) Ames Eagle Two Piece Belt Plate Circa 1860-1865. Cast from a 1838-1847 applied die-struck disc tongue and wreath.

TG-1826 Eagle Two Pice Belt Plate circa 1825 - 1832

TG-1839 Eagle Two Piece Belt Plate Circa-1835

G-5 Early Militia Two Piece Belt Plate Circa 1861

T-2 Early Militia Two Piece Circa 1860 - 1885

TG-2 Early Two Piece Circa 1855 - 1875. Gold finish but not gold plated. T-2 on the left has antique finish.

TG-Sash Eagle looking over Shield - Militia Two Piece Belt Plate Circa 1851

TG-Eagle/JB Military Officers Two Piece Belt Plate Circa 1830 - 1855

G-6 Early Oval Eagle Militia Belt Plate Original dug Fair Oaks, Va.

T-6 Early Artillery Belt Plate Circa 1810

TG - Common Militia Belt Plate circa - 1825.

TG-1811rect. Early Militia Belt Plate

TG-small oval 1835 Militia Belt Plate (Size 2 1/2 x 1 7/8)

TG-1857 Rectangle Eagle Militia Officers Belt Plate Circa 1855-1865

G-8 Early Militia Belt Plate Circa 1810

T-4 Early Artillery Belt Plate Circa 1818-1835. Original dug White House Landing, New Kent, VA

G-7 Early Militia Artillery Belt Plate circa 1810 Original dug Fair Oaks, VA.

Officer in TEXAS RISING wearing the TG-7 Officers Militia two piece.

Original Artillery Belt Plate that Iused as the master pattern.

TG-22 Musician's Two Piece Belt Plate Circa 1861-1865

Berkeley Plantation was a Union campsite after the "Seven Day's Battle". State uniforms were replaced with the new blue uniform. Also Taps was played across the campsite for the first time.

TGEM - Early Militia Belt Plate. Original dug at Fort Darling (with original type silver plate finish or brass finish) Circa 1851

TG-EM{3} Early Militia Belt Plate

Original I dug at Fort Darling.

TG- Rect.Musician Musician's Belt Plate Circa 1860-1890

T-7 Early Militia Belt Plate circa 1850 Original dug- Spotsylvania, VA.

Person on the right has the TG-NONDESCRIPT Belt Plate

TG-TIGER Tiger Two Piece Circa 1861. (Note the Tiger Emblem in the center of the G.)

T-10 Early Militia Belt Plate (shown here in silver plate to look antique) circa 1820 Original dug - New Kent Courthouse, VA.

Original Militia Belt Plate T-10.

Original back of the T-10 and the original back of all militia belt plates.

TG 10 Early Militia Belt Plate Circa - 1820

TG-Excelsior New York Common Militia Plate. Circa 1830-1840. Top buckle is the reproduction and the bottom buckle is the original I copied.

T-5 Early Militia Belt Plate Circa - 1850's

Confederates buried in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, VA 1865

TG-THEREBELTP Johnny Yuma Two Piece. Buckle worn by Nick Adams in the movie "The Rebel" that was on TV in the early 1960's.

TG- (NONDESCRIPT) Frame Belt Plate. Dug Fair Oaks, Seven Pines battlefield.

Original Eagle Two Piece for the TG-188 on the right.

TG-18EAGLETP. 1860 Eagle Militia Two Piece. Circa 1851-1865. Worn by Union Officer's on a gold braided belt.

TG-1838AMESTP Ames Two Piece Belt Plate. Circa 1838 - 1847 This brass two piece has been silver plated for the customer.

TG-188 Eagle Two Piece. Early Eagle Two Piece. Circa 1861.

TG-VTBUTTON Vermont Coat Button

GW-Early Two Piece. Circa 1820. This two piece takes a one inch belt.

Fair Oaks, Seven Pines Battlefield, 1912.

Original Nondescript Buckle I dug with eyeglasses, Fair Oaks battlefield in the 1960's.

TG-WIBUTTON Wisconsin Coat Button

Oval with Studs. Go to Confederate Navy and Marines to order this Plate.

TG-US (NONDESCRIPT) U.S. Frame Belt Plate original dug Malvern Hill battlefield ,Va.

This soldier is wearing a sword belt plate with applied silver wreath and a two piece Eagle.

GW-Early Militia Plate. Circa 1840's.

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