A good example of a fairly rare buckle of gilt aluminium construction. This is the buckle for the dirk, not the sword, belt, being approximately half the size of the latter. As buckles go, it's the rarer of the two for the sea-going navy.

This 'feldbindung' or officer's dress belt was introduced in 1896 to replace the schaerpen (a sort of bullion cummerbund with large tassels) throughout the German army. Baden and Oldenburg shared both the design of the buckle (with the Imperial crown replacing the royal one) and the braid of the belt (with its characteristic thin red stripe).

This is an other ranks buckle for an Indian policeman in the last 50 odd years of the Raj. It would have been worn on the uniform tunic. Some research would show whether this was one of the paramilitary battalions in this frontier province, or regular local police.

This is the mid-war version, which replaced the gilt aluminium / gilt steel / brass type of the pre-war and early war years. It is virtually mint, with a little rust at the goal post catch on the reverse. Otherwise there is hardly any paint missing from the piece, one of the best examples I have come across. There is no maker mark.

This belt was introduced to complement the field grey service tunic in 1910. The cypher is that of Kaiser Wilhelm II. It is a die-struck example in pot metal with a gilt wash, so probably of war-time make.