American Military and Naval Belts 1812-1902 by R. Stephen Dorsey: Belt Plate and Buckle Reference

American Military and Naval Belts 1812-1902 by R. Stephen Dorsey is a hardcover collector's reference to the belts worn by American soldiers, sailors and Marines from the War of 1812 through the Spanish American War period. It covers how each belt was made, what it was made from, its dimensions, and the buckles and belt plates that went with it, illustrated with more than 800 photos and drawings, most in color.

Who this book is for

This book is for relic hunters and collectors who dig or buy military belt plates, buckles and belt hardware and want to know exactly what they have. A plate or buckle pulled from an old camp, battlefield or homesite is much easier to date and identify when you can match it to the belt it came from, and Dorsey's book shows the complete belts, not just the plates.

This is a specialist reference. If you are looking for a general guide to buttons, bullets or relics of every kind, start with the wider selection in our metal detecting books and reference material collection.

What the book covers

• Sword belts for officers and enlisted men.
• Sabre belts of the dragoons, cavalry and mounted artillery.
• Waist belts and shoulder belts.
• Cartridge belts, looped and non-looped, including the woven belts of the Indian War and Spanish American War.
• Buckles and belt plates for each belt type, so a dug plate can be tied back to the belt and the period it belongs to.

For each belt, the book covers history, construction, materials, dimensions, buckles and plates, and special notes. Overviews explain the reasoning behind experimental, prototype and production belts, drawing on original Army documentation, correspondence and specifications.

The Mills Woven Cartridge Belt Company

A large section covers Anson Mills, the company he founded and its key people, with a detailed listing and discussion of the Mills contracts with the Ordnance Department. It also covers Mills' relationship with the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and the reasons behind the several cartridge belt plates adopted during the Indian War period. For collectors of Indian War and Spanish American War cartridge belts, this is the section that explains which belt is which.

What the book does not cover

• Belts after 1902, including World War I and later web gear.
• Price guides or market values.
• Buttons, insignia and other uniform items, except where they relate to belts.

Where it helps in the field

Belt plates and buckles turn up on Civil War camps, frontier fort sites, militia muster grounds and old homesites. When you dig one, this book helps you identify the belt it belonged to and narrow the date range, which tells you what kind of site you are working. For detectors suited to iron-heavy military sites, see our relic and treasure metal detectors collection.

Book details

• Title: American Military and Naval Belts 1812-1902
• Author: R. Stephen Dorsey
• Publisher: Collectors' Library, 2002
• ISBN: 978-0-9631208-9-2
• Pages: over 400
• Illustrations: over 800 photos and illustrations, most in full color