CONTINENTAL ARMY DOUBLE-FROG SHOULDER BELT OF BUFF LEATHER.

An extraordinarily rare and exceptionally well-preserved shoulder belt with double-frog for sword (or tomahawk) and bayonet, which were originally produced and used in quantity by Continental and state troops from at least Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware during early-to mid-war. The buff shoulder belt is approximately 2 1/4 inches wide and the long and short branches of it are buckled together with a brass buckle of D-shape 2 3/16 x 1 5/8 inches--commonly found on Continental Army cantonment and encampment sites. This was acquired by Don Berkebile in the Carlisle, PA area some decades ago and may have actually been made by the leatherworkers in the Continental Artillery Artificers company stationed there, who were producing accoutrements for the army at Carlisle Barracks during the war. Following his untimely death in 2008, all of his arms and related militaria were sold on behalf of the estate by dealer David Condon, from whom this was acquired in March 2009. CONDITION: Very good to excellent; the outside of belt and frog with pipeclay residue and rig showing some light usage; the leather still supple.