Original U.S. Civil War SNY New York Early “Puppy Paw” Belt Buckle Excavated at Folly Island, South Carolina - 117th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment

Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a fantastic excavated example of a State of New York Enlisted man’s waist belt buckle which was dug at the site of a soldier’s camp on Folly Island, South Carolina. The person who dug this buckle housed it in a great riker case with information on the buckle and location attached to the glass lid and on the back, which provides for a great display.

The case denotes that the buckle belonged to a soldier of the 117th New York State Volunteer Regiment, camped at the location from July to September of 1863. The note to the back of the case mentions that Not all New York units were equipped with these plates. One numerical regiment may have been issued SNY plates, the next one, US plates. After the first two years, the majority of the state plates had been lost or buried with their wearers and very few of these plates have been recovered from 1864 and 1865 Battlefields & camp sites. They are considered Very Scarce. 

The buckle itself is in great shape for having been ground dug, and has a lovely overall peppered patina of oxidation. The puppy paws on the back are intact and in good shape, but the tongue is a bit dented. There is also some denting overall in the buckle with some very minor material loss along the edge.

This is an outstanding buckle with a very good case, ready for further research and display.