Belt Buckle and plates

[A_Volpe]

Oooh, I never considered a leather chord/strap to hold the two sides of the cape/doubling together before - Worth trying I say! Although I want to say there is evidence of a metal bar clasp, that has a hole in the middle, which is riveted to the center of the shirt, and a slit in the bar on both ends, going diagonally up to the upper corners, which is then slotted under a rivet near the end of the doubling - Very similar to the [serpentine] hooks we see later.

If you try a leather clasp - I'd suggest cutting a horizontal slit in both ends of the strap, so you can 'button' it over the studs on the ends of the shoulder doubling straps - You could probably rivet the center of that strap directly to the 'sternum' center of the maille shirt, or, button it like the others, although from Ahenobarbus, it appears that strap goes underneath the doublings, and does not appear to be riveted to the center of the shirt ~ so you could probably sew or rivet to the underside?

I don't know about the maille being covered in leather, but I seem to recall notes that the maille may have had a backing on it's underside, so as not to chaff or get caught/snagged with the shirt of maille? (although I haven't had much of a problem with my hammata shirt (Find-It-Armory's) - but I also have the edges of my doubling and the bottom "hem" of the shirt lined with leather.

I think there is one reconstructed illustration referenced to a sculpture, that shows a Roman with maille that has what appears to be a leather covering on the shoulder doubling itself, and has a snake or some squiggly lines painted or whatever on the covering.

I don't know much more than the above speculation sorry.