“Rare” Fred Harvey Era Coin Silver Belt – Early Native American Craftsmanship

Vintage “Fred Harvey” Era Coin Silver Early Native American Handmade Belt

This is a beautiful and rare handmade belt from the Fred Harvey era, crafted by Native American artisans. Made from coin silver, it reflects the early craftsmanship typical of Southwest Native American jewelry from the early 20th century.

If you look at the pictures or the video you can see on the end of the conchos there remnants of the old coins reeded edge.

• Total Length: 39-1/2 inches

• Material: Coin Silver

• Condition: Pre-owned vintage condition. Please view all photos for details and condition before purchasing.

This remarkable belt is a rare survivor from the Fred Harvey Era, a transformative period in the American Southwest during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Handmade by a skilled Native American artisan—likely Navajo or Zuni—this piece reflects the unique blend of Indigenous craftsmanship and Anglo-American tastes that defined the era.

Fashioned from coin silver, a hallmark of early Native silversmithing, each concho and element bears the subtle irregularities that speak to hand-forged artistry, long before machine production took over. The designs, both simple and symbolic, were made not just for adornment, but as expressions of identity, tradition, and trade.

During the Fred Harvey Era (roughly 1870s–1940s), Native artisans began crafting jewelry and accessories tailored to appeal to Eastern tourists traveling the Santa Fe Railway and visiting Harvey House hotels. This belt likely passed through one of these historic trading posts or curio shops—where cultures met and a new market for Native art was born.

Worn by both Native and non-Native people, this belt holds stories etched into its metal: of resilience, adaptation, and artistic ingenuity. Whether worn or displayed, it serves as a tangible link to a pivotal chapter in American history—a time when Native silversmiths helped shape a new artistic legacy in the Southwest.

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• No returns on this vintage item – please review the photos carefully.

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