We offer here a Gettysburg recovered, non-dug Confederate “wishbone” buckle from the Rosensteel family collections. The Rosensteels will be familiar to any Gettysburg collector. For details see “Gettysburg Battlefield Relics & Souvenirs” by O’Donnell, Hazard, and Boardman, who summarize the family’s record as, “assembling and displaying the greatest collection of Gettysburg relics in history,” beginning with young John H. Rosensteel, who began collecting battlefield “pick-ups” as early as July 5, 1863. They studiously documented their finds, vetted and documented finds offered by other local residents, and built “two world class museums,” forming the basis for current National Park Service Museum.

This is a great example of a classic Confederate belt buckle- the “wishbone” or “forked tongue” style brass frame buckle, which was simple, practical, light but robust, and easy to manufacture using simple sandcasting techniques. The result was that they were widely produced, are found in many slight variations of configuration, finish, and size, and show up on the belts of Confederate soldiers lucky enough to wear their gear to a photographer. For parallels see Mullinax (1991) Plate 254ff., as well as Keim Fig. 362ff.

This one has a nice, medium, age patina to the brass, mellow and non-dug, untouched and unpolished, with some natural thin age darkening in places, but only a few small, thin green spots. The buckle was well finished when made. Both front and back of the frame were filed smooth, eliminating the pockmarking of a poorly cast or poorly finished plate. The forked tongue was rounded on upper and lower sides, with the upper side given a slight bevel at the fork, as were the ends of the crossbar, which stands above the frame on the back. The interior corners of the frame were sharply finished, and the outer corners given a very slight rounding- a matter of comfort for the wearer. All of these touches are signs of quality work and perhaps its early-war, pre-Gettysburg, manufacture when they could take the time for such niceties. Measures 94mm x 62mm.

This is a great buckle with a great provenance that would add to a Confederate or Gettysburg collection.  [sr][ph:m]

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