Could this be a belt plate? (ebay)

[Peroni]

Salvete Omnes,

I found this item on Ebay yesterday, It looks to me like an open-work belt-plate. It is listed as an applique. It has at one time been attached to something as the rivets detailed on the rear of the item have been peened.

My friend Crispus suggested that I place the link on RAT to get some other opinions.

Crispus stated that it looks very much like early to mid second century AD, as it superficially resembles some belt plates he saw in the museum at Caerleon.

What do you guys think?
http://cgi.ebay.com/41-Roman-bronze-apl ... dZViewItem

Regards,

[Uwe Bahr]

Salve Peroni,

in comparison with the belt plates shown in this topic

link from old RAT

I would classify the piece clearly as a belt plate, the question is how early in second century it is.

Greets - Uwe

[FlaviusCrispus]

Ave, Peroni!

Based on examples from my own belt plate collection and B&C, this does indeed look like a belt plate from the late 2nd to mid 3rd century AD. My own reasearch indicates openwork plates came into fashion in the late Hadrianic or early Antonine periods and continued in use, in variant forms, for a little over a century. This plate appears to be nearly square and has holes top and bottom (in the photo, anyway) for mounting rivets. The openwork resembles the "Norisch-Pannonischer" belt plates copied on this example, made by Replikate DE:

http://www.replik.de/replik_shop/images/331001.jpg

I'll have images of examples of belt plates from my own collection and museum displays on the Legio VI REAL GEAR page soon, along with a bunch of other new items.

[Peroni]

Many thanks for the info.

I managed to secure the item, and am awaiting delivery!

Regards,