Excavated Fayetteville Rifle Lockplate -- Dug Near Ringgold Gap, Georgia

Nice "CSA" with Eagle, Clear "1863" Date, and "FAYETTEVILLE" Markings on Lockplate

As promised!  Here's this phenomenally rare excavated beauty--a Confederate Fayetteville, North Carolina-made Fayetteville Rifle lockplate, dug long ago near Ringgold Gap, Georgia.  As you can see, all of the attached internal workings to the lockplate are still in very good condition, as is the face of the plate.  It clearly was dug very early to be in such stable and good excavated condition.  The "1863" date, Eagle, and "CSA" are very legible.  The "Fayetteville" is somewhat legible, as there is some slight crustiness covering some of the lettering.  I applied some baby powder so you can see it more clearly in the photo's.  It's really easy to take some 500-grit sandpaper, or performing a quick-dip in the electrolysis to get the "FAYETTEVILLE" to reveal itself crisply.  But some collectors prefer their artifacts completely "untouched," so I leave it up to you.  I'll happily use some 500-grit sandpaper if you'd like me to help clean it better for you to see the "FAYETTEVILLE".  As it is, I'll let it go cheap.  If the hammer were still attached, it would cost you as much as a Colt Pocket revolver to own one.   I've seen dug US plates cost this price!  But this beauty has those special letters "C S A"...

Sale Pending

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Excellent Condition Excavated Confederate Cast-Iron Fighting "Knuckles"

Dug By Local Relic Hunter Robert Schaffer in Vicksburg

This is one of those really "killer" items that a relic hunter really enjoys to find.  No, it's not a "CS" belt buckle, but by God, it's rarer to find one of these than a CS plate!  Local long-time relic hunter Robert Schaffer dug this one not too long ago within Vicksburg within a Confederate camp (I bought this with the snake buckle he had dug).  When I purchased this, it was very "crusty" like all iron artifacts, and I decided to put my magic touch with my Dremmel Tool to see how well it would clean-up underneath.  As you can tell, it turned out SPECTACULAR!  No pitting whatsoever!!!  I was shocked!  These rough iron knuckles were an oddity at the beginning of war, and so cheaply and poorly made that I figured this one would not be so pristine.  I was certainly wrong.  I coated with a professional conservator's-grade rust inhibitor and neutralizer to ensure it's stability, and it turns iron into a slick shiny dark patina.  You won't see a finer example of an excavated Confederate iron fighting knuckles, ever.  For a relic hunter today, it would be a pure joy to have dug this.

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