Krag Collectors Association Forum

This "Mills Buckle" is re-appearing on an internet auction site. The price has been reduced to $139.99, plus postage.

(I do not know the seller. I don't know if he knows, it is a FAKE).

The 'patina' looks nice, but, it is too perfect, (front and back), and likely by recent 'chemistry'.

The lettering for the manufacturer is not correct. (Font and exact placement of letters is wrong).

The buckle's edges, (that wear with use, handling and age), appear sharp and to have burrs.

These reproduction buckles can be found for around $25 and serve a purpose, when honestly used by re-enactors and shooters.

This kind of fraud is despicable - "antiquing" a reproduction item and trying to pass it off as an original.

Somebody unfortunately is going to get burned!

For comparison:

1. & 2. An original Mills "Dog Buckle" with natural patina of age. Back shows style and placement of 'Mills & Orndorff' lettering. Back also shows areas of corrosion.

3. Old "NY" Buckle, replica or 'restrike', likely it is from Bannerman's. No 'lettering' was put on tongue. Bannerman is said to have used original Stamping Dies, but, did not mark the backs.
This buckle was likely not used, but, has tarnished with age.

Good info. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the alert on these fakes. I'll have to check my belts and see how they look. Never have known what to look for in some of these reproduction items.

FWIW:

Later, Mills did change the font on their buckle markings. Attached is a photo of an original 'Dog' buckle showing a smaller style of marking.

Also, some Mills 'woven-loop' belts eventually had discrete grommets to accept wire-hung equipment.