Fakes, reproductions, replicas, an investigative report, by Harry Ridgeway

Fakes, reproductions, replicas,

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FP0572     Ohio Militia sword belt plate
 
Integral cast motif, digger claimed this plate was found in 1999 along with original keeper. Turns out to be fake. Buckle was produced in 1979, using O'Donnell & Campbell Plate 678 as the pattern.  Somebody then "planted" this buckle in the ground for 20 years.  It may have been innocently dug by the digger 20 years later, in 1999.  By then it had developed a beautiful dug patina that nobody could question.  Indeed this buckle initially passed muster with most of the experts, including some authors, dealers, and several collectors with major buckle collections.  Indeed it passed through the hands of three very well known Tennessee dealers before I bought it.  Lest you think the Tennessee dealers are naive, it passed muster with most of the Virginia dealers I showed it too as well, they just did not get to own it.  An exhaustive effort to trace back to the source led to the manufacturer, Hanover Brass.  Here is a piece that I bought from Hanover Brass, all the details matched exactly. 
 
 

Editor note:  This buckle was sent back to the Tennessee dealer that sold it to me, and each of the previous dealers in the ownership chain refunded the sale without argument.  That is of course till it got to the last guy who had bought it from the supposed digger!