Hello Histarch People:
 
I have an interesting artifact that I hope one of you has also come across.
It appears to be either a belt or strap buckle, made of a copper alloy, and
possibly related to clothing.  It looks similar to a buckle from either
suspenders or a pair of overalls.  The site is the Rose Hotel site (11HN116)
in southern Illinois, from contexts dating from approximately 1840 through
the 20th century.  What I am primarily curious about is the ornate
decoration located along the superior edge of the artifact.
 
The central motif is an eagle, perched on top of a large bee-hive.  There is
also a floral border at the lateral (left and right) edges of the buckle.
Are these icons Masonic?  If this a particular company's logo, I'd love to
know some details.  Any help would be appreciated.  I have two digital
images of this artifact, and would be happy to send them out.  I would have
included them as attachments to this message, but am not sure of the
etiquette of doing so.
 
Thanks,
 
Dane Magoon
Graduate Student
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
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