INDIAN WARS, M1874, WAIST BELT, M1872 PLATE, HAGNER PATTERN, WELL MARKED, DATED For Sale

INDIAN WARS, M1874, WAIST BELT, M1872 PLATE, HAGNER PATTERN, WITH KEEPER, ORIGINAL, WELL MARKED

Belts and plates of this configuration were standard-issue gear for U.S. infantry and cavalry troops during the post-Civil War westward expansion and the Indian Wars period of the late 19th century.

M1874 Waist Belt:

The Belt & Brass Hardware

The Adjuster / Slide Buckle: One of the standout features is the brass sliding adjustment buckle, which clearly bears the maker or contractor hallmark \"FFB & Co.\" (often associated with Francis Bannerman Sons or contemporary military accoutrement sub-contractors/foundries of the late 19th-century surplus and manufacturing era).

The Billet End & Rivets: The folded leather billet secured with heavy brass rivets and stitching attaches cleanly to the brass tongue plate.

Black leather is supple.

Leather belt is well marked. There is a faint stamp right next to the brass rivets. Those indented initials or inspector cartouches on late 19th-century leather gear were typically stamped by Ordnance Department sub-inspectors or arsenal acceptance officials to verify quality control before military issue.

You can also clearly make out \"188\" followed by the trailing digit \"3\" on the right side, giving you the 1883 manufacturing date right in the heart of the Indian Wars period. This matches the timeline of the U.S. Army Model 1874 waist belt and M1872 Hagner-pattern plate system perfectly, which saw heavy production and usage through the late 1870s and 1880s.

That crisp arsenal or inspector stamp stamped into the grain of the aged leather is an incredible historical anchor for this piece!

M1872 Waist Plate:

Design & Construction: The plate features a rectangular brass body with a raised rectangular border framing a central horizontal oval. Inside the oval, raised block letters read \"US\".

Reverse Features: The back of the main plate shows a heavy, hand-soldered vertical tongue (hook) used to secure the belt, along with a narrow slot on the opposite end.

Keeper Loop: The accompanying matching brass keeper piece includes an integrated loop slot and a tongue-receiving cutout, characteristic of mid-19th-century officer sword belt rigging systems designed to manage belt slings and prevent shifting.

Patina & Wear: The brass displays an authentic aged patina with scattered surface scratches, minor casting texture, and handling wear consistent with period-authentic military accoutrements.

Named after Colonel Peter V. Hagner, the commanding officer of the Watervliet Arsenal, this style of solid cast-brass rectangular plate featuring the raised \"US\" within a raised oval and border was developed for experimental field trials and subsequently issued and utilized by U.S. troops during the post-Civil War Indian Wars period.

Reference:

American Military Belt Plates, Michale J. O’Donnell & J. Duncan Campbell

The U.S. Army in the West, 1870-1880, Uniforms, Weapons, and Equipment, Douglass C. McChristian

Uniforms, Arms, and Equipment. The U.S. Army on the Western Frontier, 1880 -1892, Volume 2. Weapons and Accouterments.Douglas C. McChristian

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