Vernon in Virginia~Formerly Alaska
New member
There is a nice, whole page write-up about it in the magazine. There are comments and input about it from some of the top Civil War experts and authors of Civil War identification books. They summed it up several times with the word "Wow". No one was able to nail it down. The opening sentence in the paragraph reads "Wow! Every so often, just when we think we've seen everything, we see a relic that sets us all abuzz... this sword plate is one."
It is agreed by all that it is period; it is original; and it is a mystery. They all agree that the VM stands for Voluntary Militia, but nailing that first "M" down to a state (or even a unit or town) is the hard part. Maryland and Mississippi came to the top of the list several times, and the workmanship on it "whistles Dixie".
Anyway, if you'd like to see the article, you can order American Digger magazine online. I can attest that it is an excellent magazine if you are interested in Civil War and early American relics. Great photos and stories by the top hunters in the nation... hmmm, does that make me among the ranks? American Hunter magazine is a bi-monthly well-made and informative magazine. Check it out on the internet.
One day, the mystery of this belt buckle will be solved and history will be made
. And as Ed puts it, "KA-CHING!" ... I guess that's the sound Ed's cash register makes. 
Vernon
[attachment 61036 ADM.jpg]
[attachment 61037 plate1.jpg]
[attachment 61038 plate2a.jpg]
It is agreed by all that it is period; it is original; and it is a mystery. They all agree that the VM stands for Voluntary Militia, but nailing that first "M" down to a state (or even a unit or town) is the hard part. Maryland and Mississippi came to the top of the list several times, and the workmanship on it "whistles Dixie".
Anyway, if you'd like to see the article, you can order American Digger magazine online. I can attest that it is an excellent magazine if you are interested in Civil War and early American relics. Great photos and stories by the top hunters in the nation... hmmm, does that make me among the ranks? American Hunter magazine is a bi-monthly well-made and informative magazine. Check it out on the internet.
One day, the mystery of this belt buckle will be solved and history will be made
. And as Ed puts it, "KA-CHING!" ... I guess that's the sound Ed's cash register makes. Vernon
[attachment 61036 ADM.jpg]
[attachment 61037 plate1.jpg]
[attachment 61038 plate2a.jpg]
Super find my friend !!!