MC LILLEY Antique 19th Cen KNIGHTS PYTHIAS Bronze BELT BUCKLE Foundry Pattern

Description

EXQUISITE M.C. LILLEY COMPANY ANTIQUE CIRCA LATE 19th CENTURY KNIGHTS PYTHIAS "K. P." SOLID BRONZE BELT BUCKLE CASTING MASTER FOUNDRY PATTERN
This piece came out of the holdings of the now defunct M.C. LILLEY CO. Fraternal & Military goods manufacturing plant machine shops and factory.  It was used to make multiple castings of BELT BUCKLES in this form from this master foundry pattern, in this case for the KNIGHTS PYTHIAS fraternal organization.   This piece is of the earliest output produced the M.C. LILLEY COMPANY.
The M. C. Lilley & Co. factory was located at Columbus, Ohio. It was founded in the mid-1860s by four veterans of the American Civil War. They also were I.O.O.F. members (a fraternal society), and since there was a demand for fraternal organization regalia, they decided to manufacture it in Columbus.
They made military uniforms, Masonic items (e.g. Masonic swords), and various regalia items for societies and clubs. They shipped some of their products to Canada.
In 1933, during the Great Depression, the company was bought out by a Michigan company, Henderson-Ames, and the name changed to Lilley-Ames. The company finally went out of business in 1965.
MADE OF SOLID BRONZE.  All belt buckle sections that attach to a belt are cleverly incorporated into this one piece assembly with a "finger" cleverly added to the cast master buckle body foundry pattern to finish off the piece so that subsequent castings made from this simple designed pattern could be attached and used on any belt.   A very beautifully made rare master
for making belt buckles of generic form for any KNIGHTS PYTHIAS fraternal organization of days gone by.
Measures 3" x 2" in size.
As shown above. Sold "AS-IS."
Wear, tarnish, scratches and sometimes rust consistent with age and use.  Please see all photos, as they are part of the description.
ASK ALL QUESTIONS BEFORE ENACTING A "BUY IT NOW."
PLEASE BE SURE TO SEE ALL OF OUR UNIQUE EBAY OFFERINGS OF BELT BUCKLE MASTERS AND ALSO BELT BUCKLES AS WELL THAT CAME OUT OF THE VAST ARTIFACT REMNANTS OF THE M. C. LILLEY COMPANY - AMERICA'S PREMIER MAKER OF FRATERNAL AND MILITARY GOODS THAT FLOURISHED IN THE 19TH CENTURY AND INTO THE 20TH
CENTURY.
NO RETURNS
.  SOLD "AS - IS."
.
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