French Second Empire Enlisted Buckle, Garde Mobile

Original era manufacture. Handsome stamped brass buckle which measures 58x69mm and displays on its obverse the Imperial eagle of Napoleon III, who reigned from 1852-1870.The French army was quite active during his rule, with expeditions to the Crimea and China, war with Italy in 1866, the expedition to Mexico in 1862, and of course the 1870-1871 War with the German states which brought his empire crashing down.The buckle exhibits a very pleasing, old dark brass patina finish. We have shown this larger enlisted pattern buckle next to the smaller officers size for comparison only.