Old South Military Antiques, LLC Catalog

Several variations of a waist belt plate bearing the South Carolina State Seal were manufactured between 1845-1860. All of these are believed to have been made by a South Carolina die-sinker, most likely in Charleston.

Intended for Sunday soldiers, they were made light and flashy. When taken to war in 1861, the relatively thick stamped South Carolina panel plates held up better than their much thinner Virginia panel plate patterns, but the light cotton Web Belt they were issued with quickly disintegrated under harsh field conditions. These are not infrequently excavated in areas occupied by Confederates in 1861, and a few in 1862 sites.

The plate is a completely original, unaltered, non-excavated example that was originally covered with a silver wash. The plate has seen a lot of service, and only the silver in the less exposed areas remains. Though it has seen quite a bit of use, it remains in perfect condition.