What is this? Unidentified brass plate

CSM P

Cadet
Joined
Jan 28, 2020
Hello to all, I am new to CivilWarTalk. I retired from the Georgia Army National Guard and a member of the Chatham Artillery. I live just south of Savannah and metal detect any chance I get. I would like to know if anyone could possibly help me identify the lettering on the brass plate I found. The first letter I can't make out, the second is an "L", and the third looks like a "G". I have read about the Sumter Light Guards and Oglethorpe's Light Infantry, but having trouble linking information with the plate. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, CSM P

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Welcome from the Shiloh/Pittsburg Landing Forum and North Mississippi! I am sure one of our more knowledgeable members will be along soon to assist you
Regards
David
 
Hello @CSM P and welcome to CivilWarTalk - the best place on the internet for Civil War discussion.

Maybe someone who knows for sure will come along soon. What does the back of this object look like? Does it have any hooks or wire attachments? Could you take some more pictures in good sunlight? Front and back? Maybe at several slightly oblique angles for the front part where the letters are?

If I was guessing, I'd say any of the following could be the letters:
JLG? or the J might also be a 1
HLG? (Hall Light Guards)
NLG?
The LG part is pretty clear but it could be LC or LO.
 
Hello @CSM P and welcome to CivilWarTalk - the best place on the internet for Civil War discussion.

Maybe someone who knows for sure will come along soon. What does the back of this object look like? Does it have any hooks or wire attachments? Could you take some more pictures in good sunlight? Front and back? Maybe at several slightly oblique angles for the front part where the letters are?

If I was guessing, I'd say any of the following could be the letters:
JLG? or the J might also be a 1
HLG? (Hall Light Guards)
NLG?
The LG part is pretty clear but it could be LC or LO.
I certainly will. I am very impressed with this website already and look forward to finding information and helping others. There are no visible hooks or wires. I have one piece of one of the letters. It looks as though the letters had pins on the back of them that were pushed through the holes and possibly bent to hold in place. I agree with the possible lettering.
Thank you,
Scott
 
Welcome from THE Heart Of Dixie. Interesting plate. Could you post a closer photo the front letter outline and a shot of the back of the plate. Just wanting to see if it's a belt plate or shoulder plate. That would help date the piece. Was stationed 6 years at Ft Stewart which is when I first discovered Savannah :dance: :cold: :whistling:
 
There are no visible hooks or wires. I have one piece of one of the letters.
It seems strange to me that the letters are on across the plate, instead of lengthwise. And that there is no obvious way that it was connected to something. What are the measurements? Judging by the pattern on the quilt and estimating the stitch count, I'm guessing its 2 1/2 x 4 inches?

I'm going to page some people who may be able to tell you WAY more than I can. @ucvrelics @Package4 @major bill @Tom Hughes @jackt62 @Frederick14Va @johan_steele @Jobe Holiday There's a bunch more guys here who know a lot about relics, but I cant think of them all right now. Hopefully some of them will stop in and add their two cents. In the meantime, I know they're gonna want measurements and more pictures, so if you can do that, it will definitely help them interpret this interesting brass plate.
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Welcome from THE Heart Of Dixie. Interesting plate. Could you post a closer photo the front letter outline and a shot of the back of the plate. Just wanting to see if it's a belt plate or shoulder plate. That would help date the piece. Was stationed 6 years at Ft Stewart which is when I first discovered Savannah :dance: :cold: :whistling:
Cool! I spent most of my career there after active duty and then joining the Guard. Glad to be done! Live Richmond Hill. I'll be taking more pictures and posting them tomorrow. Thanks
 
1989 - 1994 24th Mech. On the plate, The applied letters, (in most cases) is a post war plate attribute
 
Hello to all, I am new to CivilWarTalk. I retired from the Georgia Army National Guard and a member of the Chatham Artillery. I live just south of Savannah and metal detect any chance I get. I would like to know if anyone could possibly help me identify the lettering on the brass plate I found. The first letter I can't make out, the second is an "L", and the third looks like a "G". I have read about the Sumter Light Guards and Oglethorpe's Light Infantry, but having trouble linking information with the plate. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, CSM P

View attachment 346978
Welcome from Maryland, it appears to be a militia shoulder plate, more pictures will certainly help with date and possible unit attribution.
 
Cool Sir, '83-'85 A Co 2/34th Inf.. I will search for post war plates. I did forget to mention a possible clue, I found a stirrup near it as well. Thank you
Besides the other views of the plate that have been requested, can you also post up a picture of the piece of one of the letters you found nearby? And the stirrup? Even though the stirrup iron may have nothing to do with the plate, it would be interesting to see it too. :thumbsup:
 
It seems strange to me that the letters are on across the plate, instead of lengthwise. And that there is no obvious way that it was connected to something. What are the measurements? Judging by the pattern on the quilt and estimating the stitch count, I'm guessing its 2 1/2 x 4 inches?

I'm going to page some people who may be able to tell you WAY more than I can. @ucvrelics @Package4 @major bill @Tom Hughes @jackt62 @Frederick14Va @johan_steele @Jobe Holiday There's a bunch more guys here who know a lot about relics, but I cant think of them all right now. Hopefully some of them will stop in and add their two cents. In the meantime, I know they're gonna want measurements and more pictures, so if you can do that, it will definitely help them interpret this interesting brass plate.
View attachment 347028View attachment 347029
The plate is 2 1/4 x (approx) 3 1/2". I have attached pics of the back, letter piece, stirrup, and front at different angles. Whatever attached the plate is missing, but you can see where they were.

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IMG_20200217_133229.jpg


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The plate is 2 1/4 x (approx) 3 1/2"
Wow. I was pretty close. There is a similarly sized brass plate in the collection of the Georgia Historical Society. It also has the clipped corners, but instead of letters, it has an attached state seal. Not saying there is any connection, but I thought you might want to see it.
Be sure to read the entire thread. I believe I recall that our CWT relic experts determined that the object in the collection of the GHS is probably NOT a "hat brass" - that's just what the GHS named the article in their collection.
 
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