May 17, 2022 Early Arms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/17/2022
A brass, oblong plate, 76 mm H x 60 mm W, engraved with a central device of a fieldpiece with its implements, surmounted by a royal crown flanked by a “G III” and an “R” (abbreviation for “Georgius III Rex” or King George III). Below the cannon is a centered “4” flanked to stacked cannonballs over “ROYAL ARTILLERY.” An incised line borders the plate, with diagonal-notched edging. The reverse with its original hook and two mounting studs, by which a piece of mid-20th century pressboard bearing the inked provenance of the plate is loosely attached. The 4th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Artillery was ordered to America in 1773 and composed the backbone of the artillery serving on the Atlantic Seaboard for the entirety of the Revolutionary War. It is known that sometime during the course of the war the unit adopted a belt plate or “clasp” as they were commonly called. This probably occurred after James Pattison became colonel commandant of the 4th Battalion in 1777 and arrived in New York to take command of the Royal Artillery in America with the rank of brigadier general. This pattern is known from this fine example and period artwork (notably the portrait of Captain William Congreve of the 4th Battalion, painted shortly after his return from America). It is believed that these plates were fabricated in New York City, as they bear close resemblance in both pattern and style of engraving to the plates made for various Loyalist corps raised in New York and New Jersey, some of which bear the marks of silversmiths working in that city. CONDITION: some wear to the engraving on face from cleaning and period use; otherwise very good. PROVENANCE: Ex. Collection (sequentially): Peter Bull, Neville Tacey, and Major Peter Abbott. LITERATURE: Kochan and Troiani, “Insignia of Independence” (2012), pp. 21-22. JLK