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Strange or rare or fantasy buckle WW1 ??
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I've learned to take an academic approach when it comes to unusual items. In this case, both the buckle body and roundel are brass, which makes it easy to do a relatively inexpensive and non-destructive test to determine the composition of both pieces and their approximate date and means of manufacture. Without going into a lot of detail, there elements present in modern brass that would not have been there at the time of its apparent manufacture. Granted, I can't perceive of the buckle's original purpose and the element of fantasy comes to mind, but dating its composition and even the elements in the solder used, piques my curiosity.
About twenty years ago, I acquired a Confederate buckle at a show that most of the "experts" panned as a fake, probably because they had never seen one. Since the image, font and dimensions of the buckle exactly matched a genuine example illustrated in a book published by a buckle "guru," I sent him photos and he contradicted his own research. I then had a metallurgical analysis done which revealed the metallurgical composition, approximate date and method of manufacture and the fact that the fastener had been repaired long ago. I next contacted the curator of the state museum in the location of the buckle's apparent manufacture and sent pix. From him I learned that they had an identical example on loan with lengthy provenance and that the family wouldn't sell it. I donated the buckle to that state for a hefty tax appraisal. Who knows where it would have ended-up if I had listened to the "experts" and not done a rudimentary and inexpensive analysis.
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Even without scientific material analysis, it is safe to assume that the present brass buckle does not fall into the era of WWI. This can certainly be fixed, for example, on the fitting of prongs and sleeve, because originals were soldered at the time. Also the font of the motto and the oak leaves does not fit into this period, but rather in the period from 1936.
In general I am with my previous speakers, that we have here very likely a messed up piece. This is further underpinned by the impression of the centre of the roundel, which looks as if it was inserted afterwards.
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Most users ever online was 8,717 at 11:48 PM on 01-11-2024.
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