Thursday, February 10, 2011

Civil War Buckle with Bullet on the TV Show Pickers


I was just watching an episode of the History Channel's Pickers and I was shocked when they showed a counterfeit Union belt buckle with a bullet lodged in it, similar to the one above. The one guy on the show Michael has been a MySpace friend for a number of years now. I was totally shocked by him paying $50 for it and then they said that he had sold it for $200. This is just ridiculous! I can not believe that these people call themselves pickers! In my opinion they are apparently nothing more than actors! This buckle is a very common counterfeit. It is believed that these pieces were made just as something cool.
They were originally not made to be sold as historical artifacts.  Here is a link to a forum that is discussing the very same buckles like the one that Michael was so excited over on the show and made no mention of that fact that the buckle is a modern reproduction and that the bullet is not fired into the buckle, but applied.

U.S. Militaria Forum

This is a copy of the message that I sent to Michael of The Pickers:

To Antique Archaeology on MySpace

If you even see this, I am just letting you know that after having just watched an episode of your TV show where you paid $50 for a Civil war buckle with bullet embedded in it and stated that you sold it for $200, I am removing you from my friend list on MySpace. I and my business partner have spent our lives fighting the against people selling obvious counterfeit historical items. I have been outraged at how little you actors seem to know about antiques. I am embarrassed to even have had you on my friend list.

Michael W. Moses
South Coast Antiques
Ocean Springs, MS

and if you think I am outraged, you should hear what my business partner who also deals in historical items from the war between the states has to say!

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