Revolutionary War British Shoe Buckle, dug at Yorktown, Virginia (ON HOLD)

This is another interesting piece being offered; it is an excavated British Colonial/Revolutionary War shoe buckle. It is brass and measures 1 1/2” x 2” and is complete. There are two crowns on the buckle along with fancy surroundings. The British crown was a symbol of authority and inequality in the political and social hierarchy. British soldiers wore the crown on their equipment, including their cartridge boxes, buttons, shoe buckles, personal belongings, hat plates, belt plates, etc.

This piece was dug at Yorktown, Virginia several years ago. General George Washington and his Continental Army had a decision to make in the spring of 1781. They could strike a decisive blow to the British in New York City or aim for the south, in Yorktown, Virginia, where Gen. Charles Lord Cornwallis’s troops were garrisoned. Washington and his French ally, Lt. Gen. Comte de Rochambeau, bet on the south, where they were assured critical naval support from a French fleet commanded by Adm. Comte de Grasse. This forced the British to surrender.

The buckle is in nice condition, and chances are lost by a British soldier. It comes in the glass top display case pictured.