In silver brocade with soft black felt lining. The gilded brass buckle shows anchor and star; its outer part has nicely sculpted oak and laurel wreath. Massive carabiner clips and lion heads in gilded brass on the dagger suspensions. Both the brocade and brass hardware are of magnificent quality. The hanger buckles feature the so-called "angry" or snarling lions introduced in 1947 as opposed to the earlier "kind" lions. At the same time, the outer fabric of the belt is of the early pattern, in metallic bullion thread as opposed to the silk fabric that replaced the more expensiv

In silver brocade with soft black felt lining. The gilded brass buckle shows anchor and star; its outer part has nicely sculpted oak and laurel wreath. Massive carabiner clips and lion heads in gilded brass on the dagger suspensions. Both the brocade and brass hardware are of magnificent quality. The hanger buckles feature the so-called "angry" or snarling lions introduced in 1947 as opposed to the earlier "kind" lions. At the same time, the outer fabric of the belt is of the early pattern, in metallic bullion thread as opposed to the silk fabric that replaced the more expensive bullion starting from 1947. Note also its straight cut on its ends as opposed to the sewn-in triangular-shaped ends typically seen on the post-1946 belts. That leads us to believe that the belt was manufactured in 1947 and is essentially a traditional piece combining elements of both the earlier and later styles. When fully extended, the belt will fit up to approximately 43" waist, but it is easily adjustable to almost any smaller size.

Very good to excellent condition. The silver fabric on the exterior is clean and free of tears or excessive wear, showing only some mild tarnish to silver (it may be easy to clean off but we wouldn't recommend doing it, as it adds character and interest to the belt.) The black felt liner has a few small moth bites but remains overall intact and sound. The brass hardware is well preserved, free of nicks, blemishes or noticeable scratches, and its gilt finish is still nice and bright.

Overall, a very impressive naval belt. This model remained in use only until 1951 and is generally pretty scarce, especially its bullion version. This particular piece, being an early transitional issue, is a particularly rare find.
$645.00  Add to cart