Monique

Thanks for all that information jf42. I hadn't considered a cartridge pouch, that seems much more likely. The artefact is on display at the Sydney Harbour YHA which I built over the archaeological site where it was found. There's no label or information in the case though. The exhibition has been hung in The Rocks Discovery Museum and runs until Feb 2017.

Thanks Jerry B. We have decided not to use it in the exhibition now.

Thanks Jerry B. I was unsure of what the belts that crossed over the chest were called. The back looks the same as this, there's no evidence of any tabs, loops or anything else, but I'll post the photo.

Good Afternoon Gentlemen, This artefact was deposited in a residential area of The Rocks, Sydney, Australia in the 1850s. The design on it is the Prince of Wales Feathers. I will have the artefact next week and I will try to get a better picture. Is this from a Military Uniform? Could it be from a cross belt (Sam brown belt), hat badge or other? thanks

Thanks Hugh, I'm starting to suspect it wasn't from a uniform. The Chinese (?) characters don't seem to fit that purpose. It may have just been a pendant or something decorative. The snake clasp is different to any other I've been able to find online. It's possible that it's from a very early police uniform, before the NSW Police were formed in 1862. It was deposited between the 1830s and the 1850s and a constable lived in the house for a short time in the 1840s.

I've done a little more research on where the Snake Clasp was found. It came from a deposit which dated to 1838-1851. It was found in the underfloor deposit in the rear room of an extremely small tenement. The house was tiny, probably only two rooms. There was a police constable living there in 1845, unfortunately we don't have occupation records before that date, so he may have been there since when the house was built in 1833. As far as I can ascertain, the context dates are too early for any Colonial Military units to have used the clasp, but until 1870, British Garrison Troops were here, and until 1848, their barracks were less than half a km away. I've found that British Police also used them, but so far I've only found them on Inspector or higher uniforms. It's interesting that this example has a head and a tail, and the tail is slightly smaller and looks a little like it may have a rattle, like a rattle snake. So far I haven't found any examples like it. Any advice from this wondrous store of knowledge would be very gratefully received Cheers Mon

Thank you Peter Monahan, you are correct about the sword belt, and thanks for the suggestion about a civilian copy, I hadn't considered that. The last photo is from a sword belt, it was originally gilded, there are a few tiny patches left and it is a lion on each end. Am I right in assuming that the sword belt buckle would have only been used by an Officer? Not an NCO or OR? I hope that if that assumption is correct I may have a very slight chance of identifying the owner. I don't think the Australian Army used them, but the Colonial Regiments may have. It was excavated from a lower socio economic area which was described as a slum and we have fairly good records of the occupation of many of the buildings, so an Officer may stand out.

Dear Gentlemen, This is one of the artefacts that could be a stable belt design. Any ideas? Regards Monique I think this may be an infantry bugle or horn. The oriental characters on the rear of the 'scroll?' are a bit confusing though.

Thanks Peter Monahan. I'll post photographs as soon as I can. Now I can go looking for an Australian manufacturer, and annoy the Army museum again.

Good afternoon Gentlemen, I'm an archaeologist from Sydney. I have a few possibly military artefacts that have been excavated from The Rocks. The site of first European settlement in Australia, for the convicts at least. I have what could be a stable belt buckle, but I'm very unsure. Did any British or indeed other army, use a squirrel as an emblem? I'm also trying to find out which regiments used an s shaped belt buckle in the design of a snake. I have a few of these and they aren't all the same. The artefacts are being restored for an exhibition on Colonial Military and WW1 soldiers from The Rocks and Millers Point area, which will be held in the Rocks Discovery Museum from Sept 2016 until Feb 2017. I realise photographs will help and I will endeavour to post them next week when I can source them from the restorer. The photographs of the unrestored artefacts don't show much detail, they've been buried for more than 100 years, so I know for sure they aren't from WW1 or afterwards. I look forward to your wisdom. Regards Monique