In a message dated 10/13/03 11:52:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time, dconklin@pronetisp.net writes: Would anyone on the list know how to go about authenticating a brass belt plate that has the letters CS on the front and the numbers 19c60 or 18c60 engraved on the back? The person who has it in their possession bought it a long time ago from a dealer and was wondering if anyone would have any ideas. Don: Be very leery when purchasing Civil War artifacts with "CS," "CSA" or anything that marks it as being from the Confederacy. These items, if authentic, sell for big dollars. If it is sold for less, it is probably not the genuine thing. Sincerely, Mike Peters npeters102@aol.com