Figure 85
The 1835 uniform regulations replaced the rather impractical S-hook NCO belt plate with a "round clasp" on which the branch designation was replaced with the raised letters "U S." Similar in over-all design to the 1821 officers' plate, round with outer ring, these plates were rough cast in brass and had a stippled surface.
WAIST-BELT PLATE, NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER, 1836
USNM 604114 (S-K 270). Not illustrated.
This specimen is very similar to the preceding plate, but it is of a definitely different casting and is generally heavier in over-all appearance, the inner ring is much more convex, and the letters "U S" are raised only slightly and spread farther apart.
SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, OFFICERS, 1839
USNM 40886. Figure 86.
Figure 86