State of New York Belt Buckle

Description

Belt buckles with raised “SNY” letters had been used by New York militias since 1839, with large-scale outfitting of NY state troops with the buckles in 1851, when the state ordered 6,000 SNY buckles from J.I. Pittman. In 1858, the belt buckles were made larger, and several versions appeared due to several different manufacturers. These buckles, were lead-filled, with brass facing and “puppy paw” studs on the back. These studs fit into two holes on the end of the waist belt, and the hook went into one of the holes on the other end of the belt. As the war progressed, the SNY belt buckles continued to be issued, as well as the standard “U.S” buckles.