Buckle-Up: Civil War Replica

Over the past fifteen years or so I have intermittently "collected" belt buckles on various family trips we have taken. While I don't necessarily set out to hit up gift shops or stores with the intention of finding a special buckle to commemorate the trip, when I do come across something of interest (that I would be willing to wear in public without being too self-conscious), I will purchase it.

Some of my choices are fairly obvious and common for the fashion savvy traveler. Take the one posted above for instance, a basic (and,as I recall, inexpensive) replica brass Civil War Union Army belt buckle. Purchased in Gettysburg as part of a longer roadie to visits my brother-in-law in Gloucester, Virginia, this particular one was actually bought to replace a slightly better quality buckle I had bought years ago, but that had been lost to the sands of time following a few Spring cleanings. While I am fairly certain (due to the ease with which it can be found at a variety of outlets) this buckle is a "go to" memento for folks, I quite like the simplicity of its design as well as its implied historic value. Or perhaps it's my secret reenactor seeking to come out and play.

Ever the traditionalist, I wear the buckle frequently in its intended manner with letters "US" correct side up. There is, of course, controversy regarding various ways of  wearing of the buckle ("US" up or down), but I'll leave clarification of that to the experts... of which many partake in the discussion on sites such as The Civil War Reenactors Discussion Forum.

The ONLY picture from our layover in Gettysburg; clearly my camera ran out of battery power...