Description
This is a FINE non-dug example of the Virginia sword belt plate as manufactured by Emerson Gaylord of Massachusetts for the militia troops of Virginia pre-1861.
It is classified as a Kerksis #430 and measures approximately 2.02 x 3.7″ and weighs around 3 ounces.
These plates were produced under contract prior to the outbreak of the Civil War and patterned in the style of the US Model 1851 series. It is considered a rarity of 6 on a 10 scale. This one is bench numbered 218.
Emerson Gaylord produced an estimated 1,000 Virginia sword belt sets in 1860 under contract with Virginia to supply belts for 1,000 Virginia Manufactory cavalry swords, with plates featuring the state seal, intended for early Virginia cavalry units like the 1st Virginia Cavalry. While the exact count is unknown, it’s believed no more than 1,000 of these distinctive plates and sets were ever made.
