Vernon in Virginia~Formerly Alaska
New member
[attachment 102988 Platefound.jpg]
[size=large]A couple weeks ago I found this 1850's militia belt plate with the 1851 eagle design on it. These were used through the Civil War. This is the condition I found it in, bent in the shape of a U. I had been digging a lot of old cans from a period house site. The cans were sardine cans, vienna sausage cans, etc. They were giving a good reading and were fairly deep. I dug about 10 of them before I got another "can" signal. When I turned the plug over I saw this rounded piece of metal and said to myself "Hmmm... another can, but this one has an eagle on it." Well of course I realized right awy it was a bent Civil War belt plate. Please click on photos to enlarge. [/size]
[attachment 102989 platefoundback.jpg]
[size=large]This is the back of it, both attachments still there and full of dirt. [/size]
[attachment 102990 Platestraightened.jpg]
[size=large]I sent the belt plate off to a guy named Robert McDaniel, lives in Waterloo, AL. He fixes, straightens, and generally does miracles with old relics from the Civil War. Robert did a fine job of straightening this plate without cracking it, I'm very pleased with his work. [/size]
[attachment 102991 Platestraightenedback.jpg]
[size=large]Back of plate now straightened. [/size]
[attachment 102992 cased.jpg]
[size=large]Like I said, the Eagle has landed, and this is his final resting place; a nice padded display case to forever preserve a piece of past history... another relic saved.
Vernon[/size]
[size=large]A couple weeks ago I found this 1850's militia belt plate with the 1851 eagle design on it. These were used through the Civil War. This is the condition I found it in, bent in the shape of a U. I had been digging a lot of old cans from a period house site. The cans were sardine cans, vienna sausage cans, etc. They were giving a good reading and were fairly deep. I dug about 10 of them before I got another "can" signal. When I turned the plug over I saw this rounded piece of metal and said to myself "Hmmm... another can, but this one has an eagle on it." Well of course I realized right awy it was a bent Civil War belt plate. Please click on photos to enlarge. [/size]
[attachment 102989 platefoundback.jpg]
[size=large]This is the back of it, both attachments still there and full of dirt. [/size]
[attachment 102990 Platestraightened.jpg]
[size=large]I sent the belt plate off to a guy named Robert McDaniel, lives in Waterloo, AL. He fixes, straightens, and generally does miracles with old relics from the Civil War. Robert did a fine job of straightening this plate without cracking it, I'm very pleased with his work. [/size]
[attachment 102991 Platestraightenedback.jpg]
[size=large]Back of plate now straightened. [/size]
[attachment 102992 cased.jpg]
[size=large]Like I said, the Eagle has landed, and this is his final resting place; a nice padded display case to forever preserve a piece of past history... another relic saved.
Vernon[/size]
