PRE-1808 US ARMY BAYONET BELT.

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2024

Before a standardized pattern was adopted for the U.S. Army in 1808, which included an oval brass plate closure, the U.S. Army contracted for bayonet belts of blackened harness leather roughly of the same configuration in terms of form, but with an iron frame buckle in lieu of a belt plate. There are at least three examples known to this writer. The belting on this example is approximately 1 7/8 inches wide, but shows signs of significant stretching/shrinkage over time and was originally probably 2 inches width or more. The frog is 3 1/4 inches deep and it has the remains of a bayonet scabbard in it that has the same hook as found on 1808 contract bayonet scabbards and on archaeological sites of the War of 1812. PROVENANCE: acquired from Don Troiani in 2002. CONDITION: Fair overall; there is a repaired tear at the rear of the frog and there is also a diagonal tear across the shoulder strap; the blackened grain of much of the strapping has flaked off. An extremely rare example of an early US Army bayonet in use before the War of 1812.