Historical Context
Editorially reviewedThe 1839 Army regulations prescribed new brass plates, and the 1841 uniform manual illustrated a round shoulder-belt plate bearing an eagle. These antebellum patterns continued into the Civil War era in multiple manufactured variants. The collection title’s opening date of the 1820s is broader than the regulation evidence cited here; the securely documented pattern begins in 1839–1841.
Provenance: Based on U.S. Army regulation evidence reproduced and analysed in the Smithsonian Institution’s catalogue American Military Insignia, 1800–1851. The account distinguishes the round eagle shoulder-belt plate from oval “U.S.” plates and from the Model 1851 sword-belt plate.
Research status: reviewed · reviewed 23/08/2026
Sources
2 referencesAmerican Military Insignia, 1800–1851
J. Duncan Campbell and Edgar M. Howell, American Military Insignia, 1800–1851, Smithsonian Institution Bulletin 235 (1963). (Smithsonian Institution)
Supports: Documents the 1839 regulations and 1841 manual, including the round shoulder-belt eagle plate and the distinct oval U.S. plates.
Model 1851 U.S. Army sword belt plate
Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Model 1851 U.S. Army sword belt plate, collection record. (Smithsonian National Museum of American History)
Supports: Provides a dated comparison object showing that the later sword-belt plate is a separate accoutrement type.
How to cite this page
Eagle Breastplate — United States Army Accoutrement, c. 1820s–1870s. Sanctum Hex Vault. Reviewed 23/08/2026. https://vault.sanctumhex.com/symbols/historically-documented-military-symbols-and-insignia-rank-branch-unit-and-identification-devices-from-c-1700-1918-eagle-breastplate-united-states-army-accoutrement-c-1820s-1870s
https://vault.sanctumhex.com/symbols/historically-documented-military-symbols-and-insignia-rank-branch-unit-and-identification-devices-from-c-1700-1918-eagle-breastplate-united-states-army-accoutrement-c-1820s-1870sAccoutrement
Eagle Breastplate — United States Army Accoutrement, c. 1820s–1870s
A round brass eagle plate secured the shoulder belt of a U.S. Army cartridge box; regulation evidence places the documented pattern in the 1839–1841 uniform reforms.
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