This is a quite tough buckle to find! It is the pattern listed as figure #700 on page 420 of the O'Donnell and Campbell buckle book. It is the sword belt buckle for the State of Massachusetts. This is a cast brass buckle with the applied keeper tongue on the back of the buckle and it is still present. The face of the buckle has the beautiful ornate image of the Massachusetts arm with sword at the top. Below the arm it has the Indian with the bow and arrow. The ribbon has the Latin inscription of "ENSE PETIT PLACIDAM SUB LIBERATE QUITEM" which translates as "by the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty". It has the location of recovery noted in the reverse of "MORRIS ISLAND, SC". Morris Island is an 840-acre uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War. This is a great looking buckle from South Carolina!
Item #: C3309
Shipping Weight:
1 lb
Your Price:$2,250.00 USD
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