Bryan D. McRaven
Plates
Sun Dec 10 22:13:12 2000


Gentlemen,
Having never seen these plates I can make no comment, but there are other fakes in circulation that answer the same description. THe one I a familiar with is an "original" engraved plate that was supposed to be attached to the stock of weapons carried by the "Vicksburg Sharpshooters." The aforementioned unit was a Militia Company from Vicksburg that served in the 12th MS Infantry in the ANV. Several of these paltes have turned up within the last year, both made of a light-weight metal, crudely engraved. These are proven fakes, as no original weapon had these plates attached. There are several original rifles in private collections around Vicksburg, none of which have any sort of plate on them, or markings where said paltes might have been attached.
I have talked this issue over with Jeff Giambrone, Assistant Curator of the Old Courthouse Museum in Vicksburg, and he believes someone in the mid-west is manufacturing these articles, then trying to sell them as artifacts.
Just my two bits....
Bryan D. McRaven