Featured Enameled brass, dug from the earth

I’ve been visiting a piece of land along a very old road frequently the last month or so with my metal detector. When the ground is about to freeze for a few months it motivates me to get out more. The oldest object with a date on it that I’ve found there is a 1788 copper coin. I’ve found things that run the gamut from well before 1788 (shoe buckle pieces), to modern, and everything in-between. This interesting enameled brass piece came up today. Within a yard or two of it I found the illegible large copper coin to its left (probably late 1700’s to mid 1800’s), and modern pocket change. Maybe ten yards away or so I found the buckle above it dated 1867 Paris. I’ve never seen anything quite like the enamels brass piece and with the range of dates of items I’m having a hard time placing it. If I had to guess I’d put a window of maybe 1880-1950 on it. At first I thought it may be a brooch but there’s only evidence of one spot where hardware/findings are missing. If a brooch there’d be a spot for the pin to be attached and a spot for the clasp. The only other thing I can think of is a lid to a patch or snuff box or something similar. With a center hinge rather than a hinge on each side of the lid. Has anyone seen something similar or have any other ideas?

 

shoe buckle........perhaps....or just buckle topping...

 

I think it would have to be arched pretty dramatically to have been on a shoe buckle. It never occurred to me it could have been on a belt buckle until now though. That’s a possibility. Although to me it looks like it was attached to another piece of metal in some way and not sure how that would work with a belt buckle. Are you thinking some other type of buckle? I can’t think of any other buckle type that would have a thick (relatively) solid panel atop it.

 

maybe that space held a clip of sorts....
and it's not that big.....so an arch ...well maybe just flat....
I'm spitballing here....
whatever it is...it's missing parts

 

It looks like one half of an enameled buckle to me, missing the hook of a clasp. Ca 1910-1930 imo.
The hook would have been a 'strip' of brass that was bent over to form a hook, if that makes sense.

 

Like the buckle half on the right:


https://www.gillianhorsup.com/produ...namel-two-piece-belt-buckle-yellow-red-black/

 

Someone would have been sad to have lost that pretty thing.

Debora

 

Agreed, half a belt buckle. I seem to have acquired rather a lot of them.

 

I have no idea why this comes up in search but the similarity in design made me want to mention it.

https://potterusa.com/fine-silver-stamping-floral-locket-backing

 

Could have been a cloak buckle rather than a belt buckle. Agree with AJ that it is the half that had the hook.

 

SIS...I think ..similar....is an understatement !!!!!!!!!!!

 

True I know the pattern is about the same but I'm not really sure what they do exactly. Make stamped out jewelry parts from old dies? I wonder if they would have more information on it's background.

 

At the Potter link above they have hundreds of dies which were rescued from the trash when the shops in New England went to casting. Hugo Kohl also acquired many dies and uses them to make reproductions,see his link below.

https://hugokohl.com/

 

Two piece belt buckle makes sense! Thanks guys.

 

Wow. Incredible find. I figured running it through an image search was a waste of time. Figures, the majority of stuff I hope to find a match for I don’t find one and the thing I couldn’t imagine having a match does.

That is really cool though!