_USNM 604551 (S-K 698). Figure 172._
[Illustration: FIGURE 172]
The type and form of this eagle plate give no clue to its age, or to
the identity of the unit that wore it other than the numeral "1" in
the eagle's beak and the letter "E" in the shield. It is a type more
apt to have been made about 1850 than later. The eagle is struck in
brass, and the stippled inner portion of the shield, product of a
separate strike, is soldered in place; thus, the plate proper must be
considered a stock pattern.