The Civil War Relicman, Harry Ridgeway
	Winchester, Virginia USA  Civil War buckles & plates bought and sold
	relicman.com

Civil War buckles & plates, Relicman sales catalog

All  items listed are believed to be authentic to the Civil War or as otherwise described. 
Any excavated relics have been recovered from private property with owners permission.

P1734     Eagle shoulder plate, variant pattern 08    

Not enough is known about this pattern.  It would appear to match the plate shown in Crouch's Repro book, Fig 9 page19, measurement is stated at 61mm.  However this plate is slightly larger, 63mm versus 61mm, and this plate came out of a collection credibly dug in the 1950's and 1960's from Spanish Fort, Alabama.  The plate in Crouch's book may be a repro, but could have been struck from an original die, the same die that was used to strike this plate, although there should not be a size difference if struck from the same die.   Or the example in Crouch's book could actually be a cast copy from an original die struck plate, then the back milled out and lead covered, this might  explain the size difference, and this is a method of faking that we now know was widely practiced on other patterns of struck plates, although generally had mostly been applied to southern die struck plates.  Or the measurements of either plate could be off, I have measured this one several times but with so much damage the measurement is at best an estimate.  With all this conflicting information, it is hard to tell if this plate is authentic or not, but given the poor condition of this plate and its claimed origin, and comparison of patinas to the other Spanish Fort plates in this collection, which are authentic plates beyond question, it is hard to see this being a repro.  This die pattern is not shown in O'Donnell's book, so it is presented as yet another die variant.  Dug plate has clean patina consistent with other plates from the same site, but has been heavily damaged and is missing part of the solder filling and a piece of the face.  Recovered: Spanish Fort, Blakeley, Alabama from 1957 to 1963!     Plate measures 63mm.  
Ref: O'Donnell & Campbell, Plate not listed, Variant pattern 08      $75.