LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2007 June Civil War Grand Format Auction #663  / 

72142

Confederate General's Belt Rig

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:20,000.00 USD Estimated At:80,000.00 - 90,000.00 USD
Confederate General's Belt Rig
<B>Confederate General's Battle Flag Sword Belt Set Similar to General Hood's.</B></I> The centerpiece of this wartime treasure is, of course, the silver Confederate Battle Flag waving proudly from its staff set in a laurel wreath. This magnificent Southern icon is applied to a fine English-made 51mm x 44mm gilt brass sword belt plate having a stippled face and smooth beveled edges. The resulting contrast between silver and gold is stunning. A maker's stamp reading “Webb & Bonella / 23/ Old Bond Street / London” is on the back of the plate between two brass pins securing the flag device from behind. The plate and its keeper are sewn to a light brown leather belt embellished with four horizontal rows of gold bullion. Supplementary brass hardware on the rig includes three adjustment buckles, two studs, two attachment rings and a sword hanger. The plate's silver elements are lightly toned and show evidence of a previous cleaning since there are small dabs of white residue in some recesses. The belt remains as supple as it must have been during the 1860s. There is, however, some minor surface crazing, wear along the edges, and a foot-long split on the inside where the stitching has loosened along a seam. Such is to be expected and does not detract from the overall appeal of this great piece of Confederate history. A similar belt rig held by the Museum of the Confederacy figures prominently in a wartime photograph of General Hood. The belt in the image, however, has three bands of bullion rather than four and the plate is not marked by the maker.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Requires 3rd Party Shipping (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>) <BR><BR><B>Important notice:</
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