They are sand cast brass with a high copper content. The castings all look the same and were produced in a very limited number. They are so rare that most buckle books didn't even list them until recent years. The tongue part of the two peice buckle is left handed, that is too say if you place a standard CS tongue into the FREEDOM OR DEATH wreath the CS and the words FREEDOM OR DEATH will be upside down to each other. No one knows who or where they were produced or what unit or units wore them in the civil war. I would be surprised if there are twenty in existance. That's why I'm looking to see if they have some kind of ties to Texas before or at the start of the civil war. So I'm asking when and or where does the term FREEDOM OR DEATH come into use.