Helmet Plate Pattern

[Duncan]

Hello All. I was wondering if someone could give me an idea of the date-range when a specific Helmet Plate pattern was used in Canada. In the first photo, it is located at the lower right (the photo is intended to give a size perspective), and the second photo shows the plate by itself in detail. Many thanks.
Duncan

[DavidS]

Could be anywhere between 1870-1885, depending on what no. regiment it was.

[Duncan]

Hi David. Thanks for your reply. And I understand your mention of "what numbered battalion". I was hoping that the period for this HP might have been 1866 - 1868 (approx), because that would explain A LOT. When I purchased this HP it had a very tatered "black oil skin" with torn holes in the center... but there were THREE (3) numbers strung to one of the lugs: "5", "4" and "3". Which would make sense if this HP was used by the 53 Battalion of Infantry, which changed to the 54th and then went back to the 53rd all within a few years time. if the plate was only used AFTER 1870, then the mystery continues....

[DavidS]

Duncan:

Going page by page thru Mazeas's pre-1914 book, these are the only ones I see which have both leaves and that style of buckling:
27th Lambton (no date)
59th Stormont (1883)
69th Annaplois (no date)
71st York Volunteer (c. 1880)
79th Shefford (c. 1872), but solid center

These are all maple leaves though, and the starburst is a poor match.

The starburst is more like a swack of others from the 1870s-1885, with double rows of oak leaves, not maple leaves, but the buckle on all those Mazeas shows as not having that overlapping bit of belt to the right of the hanging tongue:
12th York Rangers (c. 1875)
13th Volunteer (c. 1870)
45th West Durham (c. 1882)
46th East Durham (c. 1885), and
83rd Joliette (c. 1878)

Notwithstanding the missing belt overlap, and everything else looking right, just on where the breaks appear to be situated for the missing number, I'd say the best fit would be the 46th East Durham.

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I'll add this part: Out of curiousity, try fitting the 4 & 5 in and seeing if this could be the 45th. Maz. shows the top tail of the 5 crossing into the frame a bit, so maybe the 5 has a bit broken off there?

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Question is, how inclusive is the Mazeas, and did he overlook drawing this overlapping part?

[DavidS]

Found this 83rd Joliette on Tanya Ursual's site, and it does have the belt overlap, so I guess Mr. Mazeas had a bad day when he drew his template for these oak leaf militia plates?

[Duncan]

Thank you for all the sluething, David. I really appreciate all your time and effort.