Columbian Panamanian Mills belt buckle

[Boy Howdy]

Waiting for this to arrive in the mail.

Would anyone happen to have any information about when this buckle was used or maybe a picture of it being worn? 🙏

Thank you all in advance

[Boy Howdy]

Arrived today.

Better pictures.

[Nkomo]

https://militaryantiquesmuseum.com/ms103-early-1900146s-panamanian-army-mills-belt-buckle.9880.archive.htm

 

  Looks like a early 1900s era Panamanian Army belt buckle.  This kind of thing is a bit out of my area as I collect later 20th Century Panamanian militaria, so I can't add anything more.  Good looking piece.

[Boy Howdy]

Thank you Nkomo.

Looking at the size and shape I'd say it was for a pistol belt, maybe for an NCO or Officer?

[Boy Howdy]

EJERCITO NACIONAL 2A COLUMNA DE PANAMA

 

NATIONAL ARMY 2nd COLUMN OF PANAMA

 

What does that mean?

Or is it literal? 

[Boy Howdy]

nothing else, eh?

[Varangian]

Apologies for the grave dig.  That's quite a rare piece you have there.

 

The Ejercito de Panama was formed on Panama's independence in 1903 from a 250-man brigade of the Ejercito de Colombia that defected to the US/Panama side of the conflict, led by Gen. Esteban Huertas.

 

Huertas overplayed his hand and threatened a coup in 1904, whereupon the US Government pressured the Panamanians to disband the Ejercito and replace it with the Policia Nacional.  So your buckle dates to a narrow band of time from 1903 to 1904.

 

A "Columna" is just a type of military unit common in Latin America.  The size is variable and context-dependent, usually somewhere between a company and a battalion.  Given there were only 250 men in the Ejercito de Panama, the Segunda Columna was probably something like a company (-).

[Varangian]

Actually, I have to retract that.  I should have paid more attention to the crest.  This is from a Colombian Army unit assigned to police Panama before its independence in 1903. I've seen unreferenced mentions that the Column was active during the 1000 Days' War, still under the command of Huerta.  So, if true, the buckle is from the unit that defected in the 1903 war and ultimately became the short-lived Ejercito de Panama.

 

I'd say this is still a rare piece; I haven't seen one before.