What did I find?

[De Eppresso Liber]

I found this item at a civil war camp in Corinth, MS. Can anyone help me identify what it is? The camp is in and around a neighborhood so there is a chance it could be post civil war. Any help is welcome! Thanks.

 

[Schwallanscher]

i think you have it upside down - these seem to be grapes - i think it may have been used to hold some leather belt

 

[John Hartwell]

Size? Weight? Material? A photo of it next to a penny or a dime would be helpful for porportions.
Looks like a decorative piece of some kind -- bunch of grapes.

 

[De Eppresso Liber]

Well, I'm not sure of the material it's made out of and it's relatively light. Here's a pic with a penny next to it for scale. It's 2 inches long....

 

[E_just_E]

Decorative metal piece. About half of if or so. See below around the keyhole, you'd get the idea:

 

[Schwallanscher]

got a picture of the backside?

 

[Schwallanscher]

Decorative metal piece. About half of if or so. See below around the keyhole, you'd get the idea:

don't think so - these are screwed on

i think furniture stuff kann be ruled out completely (i'm amongst others a certified joiner)

 

[De Eppresso Liber]

Backside...

 

[Mike Serpa]

It looks rusted. Some type of iron. Is it magnetic?

 

[De Eppresso Liber]

It's not rusted and not iron. It has a greenish hue to it, maybe brass.

 

[De Eppresso Liber]

Not metallic either...

 

[zburkett]

Possibly a sash buckle or other part of ornate decoration.

 

[De Eppresso Liber]

Sorry, meant magnetic!

 

[Frederick14Va]

Appears to be brass... with the visible retaining bent hooks on the side.... its likely once part of a broach or other decorative device... Have found many such similar items excavated in the past... both whole or broken parts...

 

[De Eppresso Liber]

Interesting. I was thinking maybe it was decorative piece off a cap or headgear. The camp I'm hunting was originally Confederate but then was occupied by Union forces after the battle of Corinth. Any chance it's off a confederate uniform or hat?

 

[UCVRelics]

Interesting. I was thinking maybe it was decorative piece off a cap or headgear. The camp I'm hunting was originally Confederate but then was occupied by Union forces after the battle of Corinth. Any chance it's off a confederate uniform or hat?

NO

 

[De Eppresso Liber]

Ok. Do you think it's military or civilian?

 

[John Winn]

Ok. Do you think it's military or civilian?

Definitely civilian. I think obviously from some commercial product packaging or decoration of some personal item. Nice find though whatever it is.

 

[Package4]

There is a similar piece in Crouch's relic book, though his find was gilted and identified as a "Gold gilt cloisonné woman's dress belt clasp." The piece he illustrates on page 49 even has the complete clasp, it does differ, as it is floral in design, but relatively the same in size. The piece was found in a US Cav camp and explained by the bevy of female visitors to such camps.

 

[De Eppresso Liber]

Wow, that's interesting. Thanks for the information. I guess that would make perfect sense as the location is relatively close to Corinth's downtown area. I wonder if it would been lost while the Confederates had still held the town as I don't think many local females would want to associate with Union troops! Thanks for the information, that would make it a pretty rare piece because I wouldn't think many women would loose items in a camp. Thanks for the research!