Help with a Belt Buckle?!?!?

[tleezy75]

So I was given an S&W Belt Buckle and I'm trying to figure out its Vintage and/or Value. I looked on ebay just to see if there are others like it out there and I've come across at least two others but there seems to be one difference in them...

This one is the one I have:

This is the other I found on Ebay:

As you can see the one I have has a lot more detail to it, Smith and Wesson etched on the barrel, it even has a serial number, and more screw heads. Even though it looks "newer" than the other one I found a picture of, it still looks "old" to me, and it's quite heavy. I've also not been able to find a picture or description of the one I have anywhere else. All the others I can find look like the one I found on ebay. So basically I'm trying to find out any information I can get on the belt buckle I have.

Thanks in advance, much appreciated!

 

[PuertoRican]

I suspect yours is a Bergamot because of the detail. The ebay item looks like a poorly done rip off. Yours is at least 25 years old.

 

[tleezy75]

Ok cool, thanks for the info. Any clue what it might be worth? if anything at all? Oh, and what makes you think it is of Bergamot make?

 

[PuertoRican]

Back in the mid70s I was in the belt & buckle business. Your buckle resembles some of the Bergamots that I dealt with back then. Price in those days would have been $5.00 to $7.50. No idea what it would bring today. Manufacturer name would be on the back if its a Bergamot.

 

[opoefc]

Look on the back. If it's a Bergamot, it will say so. It's not a S&W buckle. Ed.

 

[JSR III]

S&W buckles that came in S&W boxes will have a S&W copyright stamped on the back. Eventually, the buckles were made by Bergamot now known as the Bergamot Brass Works if I recall correctly. They make buckles in thousands of different configurations representing just about any item, company or product that you can imagine. Starting out in the 70's in IL, the company eventually moved to WI and are still located there I believe.

The buckle that you have is a fake manufactured by some unauthorized company trying to capitalize on the S&W name. There are many fakes out there so be careful if you are looking for original S&W buckles. Typically, the fakes will be offered without a box.

 

[t-bird]

I would love to have one.

 

[JSR III]

Check fleabay, they come up all the time.