December 10-13, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2024
An extremely rare, surviving example of a British infantry waistbelt of the Revolutionary War period, later altered during its working life into a shoulderbelt. This was achieved by cutting the front and rear branches of the bayonet frog away from waistbelt (which were originally sewn to its bottom edge of the left side) and instead, attaching them directly to the ends of the belt, lengthened further by a cut section from another belt. The belt sections are all stoated (sewn butted edge-to edge) together using a round-closing stitch, visible only on the underside of the belt. The front or "short branch" of the shoulder belt is approximately 19 inches long and composed of a 9 5/8-inch length from the original waistbelt sewn to a 5-inch piece added from another belt, then sewn to the front frog, while the "long" branch is a 35 1/2-inch length of the waistbelt is stoated to the rear branch of the frog. The vacant thread holes from the original attachment points of the frog when a waistbelt can be observed on the underside of the first section or top segment of the short branch. This practice is mentioned in British regimental orderly books and documents of the period, but such alterations were similarly done to captured British waistbelts by Continental Army leather workers at Philadelphia. Lancaster and Carlisle, Pennsylvania during the war. A good number of captured British waistbelts were still in store at West Point and Philadelphia in 1786 when the Superintendent of Military Stores ordered them to be converted into shoulder belts for the new-raised 1st American Regiment, then equipping for frontier service in the Ohio Valley. PROVENANCE: This particular shoulderbelt was purchased as lot 626 at Pook & Pook Auctions in Downingtown PA on 18 MAR 2014 and was a local consignment; a Federal era saber with scabbard attributed to Buell & Greenleaf was then attached to the belt but were later sold. It should be noted that the tip of the short branch is pierced with three evenly spaced holes, which indicates that the last plate, clasp or buckle used on this belt was fitted with three attachment studs on its reverse, probably when issued out the last time for use as a light dragoon during the Quasi-War period. CONDITION: overall very good and complete; the buff leather somewhat stiff, bearing extensive evidence of repeated pipeclaying during its lengthy military usage, with random spots of surface staining.