Boot/Toe Plates

[Tom Hughes]

Here's one of those relics that doesn't get a lot of attention - The brass toe taps and iron heel plates.

Here's a display of specimens from my Vicksburg campaign collection.
The brass toe taps helped to keep the footwear intact. I'm really surprised we don't find more of them due to the foot traffic they experienced.
They had little nails that secured them to the shoe/boot. Some even had patent dates stamped on them.

Here's a brass heel plate. Some had heart and clover designs in the center of the plate.

I was told that this is a rare heel plate. So, I'm assuming it is. It certainly has an unusual pattern to it.

Thanks for looking!

 

[Russell]

I've only found one iron heel plate. Nice collection, I like the uncommon thing's like that.

 

[Seduzal]

@Tom Hughes. Question do you know how these heel plate and toe plates were made back then ? Did the shoe - boot maker attached them on the toe /heel when he was making the boot?

 

[shooter too]

Here's one of those relics that doesn't get a lot of attention - The brass toe taps and iron heel plates.

View attachment 455087
Here's a display of specimens from my Vicksburg campaign collection.
The brass toe taps helped to keep the footwear intact. I'm really surprised we don't find more of them due to the foot traffic they experienced.
They had little nails that secured them to the shoe/boot. Some even had patent dates stamped on them.

View attachment 455088
Here's a brass heel plate. Some had heart and clover designs in the center of the plate.

View attachment 455089
I was told that this is a rare heel plate. So, I'm assuming it is. It certainly has an unusual pattern to it.

Thanks for looking!

Nice looking "mule"-kickers. Congrats.

 

[UCVRelics]

Nice collection.

 

[Russell]

My heel plate

 

[Tom Hughes]

@Tom Hughes. Question do you know how these heel plate and toe plates were made back then ? Did the shoe - boot maker attached them on the toe /heel when he was making the boot?

I don't know. My impression is that they were purchased separately as accessories to extend the life of the footwear. Just my guess.

 

[RedRover]

Here's a couple of heel plate references.

Captain William H. Clark of the 21st Massachusetts Volunteers, 1863:

Wm. H. Clark Letters, Civil War; Google books



Dave Dougherty's "Making Georgia Howl! The 5th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry in Kilpatrick's Campaign & the Diary of Sgt W.H. Hardin, from 2017 has this reference:

 

[R. Porter]

Nice group! I wonder if doing some research in this area could lead to some insights. When I was a kid minie balls were 25 cents each no matter what they were, then McKee and Mason published a book that covered a lot of small arms ammunition and suddenly there was a whole wealth of information tied to the lump of lead you picked up. What arms were being used, possibly what unit was where you picked up the bullet and their movements. Oh, and the price shot up depending on what minie ball you were talking about. Maybe something similar can come from the study of heel and toe plates.

 

[Seduzal]

Quite the collection of guns and swords.

Here's a couple of heel plate references.

Captain William H. Clark of the 21st Massachusetts Volunteers, 1863:

View attachment 455162
View attachment 455163

Wm. H. Clark Letters, Civil War; Google books



Dave Dougherty's "Making Georgia Howl! The 5th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry in Kilpatrick's Campaign & the Diary of Sgt W.H. Hardin, from 2017 has this reference:


View attachment 455160

Wow! Thank you for this information. Never seen this before.

 

[Tom Hughes]

Here's a couple of heel plate references.

Captain William H. Clark of the 21st Massachusetts Volunteers, 1863:

View attachment 455162
View attachment 455163

Wm. H. Clark Letters, Civil War; Google books



Dave Dougherty's "Making Georgia Howl! The 5th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry in Kilpatrick's Campaign & the Diary of Sgt W.H. Hardin, from 2017 has this reference:


View attachment 455160

That's neat! Thanks for sharing this.

 

[Tom Hughes]

Nice group! I wonder if doing some research in this area could lead to some insights. When I was a kid minie balls were 25 cents each no matter what they were, then McKee and Mason published a book that covered a lot of small arms ammunition and suddenly there was a whole wealth of information tied to the lump of lead you picked up. What arms were being used, possibly what unit was where you picked up the bullet and their movements. Oh, and the price shot up depending on what minie ball you were talking about. Maybe something similar can come from the study of heel and toe plates.

You certainly don't find as many heel/toe plates as you do minie balls! There's a lot of research that can come from this for sure.