DANNY SPENCER
Established Users
This buckle was dug from the backyard of a home in Kalamazoo Michigan around 1992. The property is thought to be the site of a military fort at one time in history although no physical remains still exist. I am waiting to hear back from the University of Michigan historic department to see if they can tell me the forts name. The buckle is of a single piece sand cast brass construction. This buckle evidently was never used judging by the casting flash areas inside the belt loop perimeters and the absence of ware on the buckles face. The buckle measures around 3.0” across the flat sides and about 4.0” long including the belt loop. The belt loop is .250” in diameter and would accommodate a 1.75” wide strap. The average thickness of the cast brass is around .150” thick. The buckles face has a 2.083” circular border creating a .081” deep recessed background. The raised letter US are 1.30” high by .890” wide. The serif on the letter U overlaps the letter S at the top. The top serifs on both the letters U and S are beveled at the circular border. The letters are generally crowded in spacing. There are no stamped marking on this buckle. It is identified as a buckle either for a mule / horse headstall or hook up strap dating from the 1870’s Indian Wars period. An unusual specimen due to its size “3 X 4” instead of the typical “2 X 3” and that it is cast instead of the usual stamped sheet brass. It has been suggested that the size may have been an attempt to provide a secondary use as a waist belt if needed on the trail due to the common strap width?
