1815. Scratched on its reverse side is the name 

 George W. Frost, a Virginian who entered the Mili- 

 tary Academy as a cadet in 1814 and resigned on 

 March 8, 1816. 



The two plates of the U.S. Marine Corps, despite 

 the fact that they are naval rather than military, are 

 included because they fit very precisely into the device 

 design pattern of the strictly army items of the period 

 and because they are unique in their rarity. 



CAP PLATE, U.S. MARINE CORPS, C. 1807, DIE SAMPLE 



USNM 58671-N-Ql'). Figure 28 . 



This specimen was extremely puzzling for many 

 years. The design is obviously that of the War of 

 1812 period, bearing strong similarity to both the 

 1812 and 1814 infantry plates and the 1814 Artillery 

 Corps plate, possibly the work of the same die sinker. 

 The 1804 Marine Corps uniform regulations specified 

 merely a "Brass Eagle and Plate," but the 1807 

 regulations called for "Octagon plates." '' Thus 

 there was considerable reluctance to accept this die 

 sample as the authentic design. In the summer of 



Figure 28 



.See McClei.l.'VN, pp. 25, 44. 



Figure 29 



1959, however, the authors, e.xca\ating at Fort 

 Tomkins, New York, which was known to have had 

 a small barracks for the use of naval personnel ashore, 

 recovered parts of two brass plates of this identical 

 design, and in the octagon shape — that is, retangular 

 with clipped corners (fig. 29). The design may thus 

 be precisely dated. 



The specimen is struck in rectangular brass with a 

 raised edge. The whole is dominated by an eagle that 

 is very similar to the eagles on the infantry and artil- 

 lery corps plates described above. The talons grasp the 

 shank of a large fouled anchor; a ribbon, held in the 

 lieak and streaming overhead, is embossed with the 

 motto "fortitudine." The whole is on a trophy of 

 arms and flags, and below the lower raised edge is 

 embossed the word "marines." The excavated 

 specimens \-ary slightly in size, but average 3% by 

 4% inches. Reproductions of this die strike were 

 made prior to its acquisition by the National Museum, 

 and specimens outside the national collections .should 

 be considered with caution. 



CAP OR SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, U.S. MARINE CORPS, 

 18 15-1825 ( '?) 



USNM 58671-N-C2). Figure 30. 



This specimen is known only in die samples. 

 Because of its similarity in design to the 1814 infantry 



22 



