Figure 179
A second example of a Militia officer's plate is this engraved brass specimen with the design placed along the longer axis of the oval. Since there probably were many "Volunteer Rifle Companies," it is impossible to determine precisely which one wore this plate. The initials of the officer may be read either "I. B." or "J. B.," for many of the early-19th-century engravers used the forms of the letters "I" and "J" interchangeably. The two small hooks on the reverse indicate that the plate was for a shoulder belt rather than for a waist belt, and that it was ornamental rather than functional.
SHOULDER-BELT BUCKLE, C. 1812(?)
USNM 60325-M (S-K 81). Figure 180.
Figure 180
This brass buckle, obviously made for a sword hanger, has an eagle in flight above, a 13-star flag below, and four 5-pointed stars on either side. The spearhead on the pike of the flag is definitely of military design, and, in the absence of nautical devices in the engraving, the buckle must be considered an army item.
ORNAMENTED WAIST-BELT PLATE, 1812-1825(?)
USNM 604121-M (S-K 278). Figure 181.