Is it a buckle?

[JohnnyI]

I found this object today, and I've never found one quite like it. It is a brass shell, and it is backed by pewter, not unlike some early military buckles. It is roughly two and half inches long by a little over one and a half wide. The corrosion on it is consistant with pre-CW perid finds from the same immediate area and I doubt it is later then that (but could be much earlier). The back is so deteriorated that if it had attachments on both ends they are long gone. There is no evidence of pins on what's left of the back either. I've found pewter-backed martingales and other saddlery fittings that were pewter backed, but nothing of this shape. Was this some form of Buckle? Was it a saddle ornament of some kind? Is it something else? I'm stumped. Thanks!

<img src="http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj255/johnirwin_2008/brasspewter.jpg" border="0" alt="front">

<img src="http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj255/johnirwin_2008/brasspewter2.jpg" border="0" alt="back">

 

[Cz7boy]

Look like it could be from a saddle maybe. not sure could you get a better pic of it maybe

 

[Erik in NJ]

I use a relatively innexpensive Epson scanner for most of my finds and it provides excellent resolution. I have an extra one around here that you can have if you'd like. LMK. Regards, Erik

 

[JohnnyI]

Since posting, I have been able to discern an ornately engraved name on the object (L---- W. Birdsall) whichb is not visible in this scan . The family name (Birdsall) were several generations of sea captains who owned the property and others in the area during part of the mid 1700's and again in the 1800's. I've done a little research to find that they also named a series of their ships the "Birdsall" accompanied by a different name and initial for each ship. My next step is to visit the grave yard where the family is buried, and see if I can find a first name and middle initial that matches the one on the object, and after that to attempt to find the exact names of the ships from the period, many of which were recorded. I'm beginning to believe this was not a buckle at all, and am leaning towards the idea that this may have been an identification ornament on a nautical case or instrument of some kind. A recorded ship's name that corrsponds to it might lock that theory down a little better.