These are lightweight officer's spurs in close-plated iron. Close plate was a method of fusing thin silver sheet to an iron base. In the 19th century, the military officer's spur tended to get heavier; the dress spur proper, often of cast brass and with a short iron spiggot at the heel, came into use with the new soft leather dress boots.

These are heavy duty military/hunting examples in polished iron. As the 19th century wore on, the shanks got shorter and tended to lose their sepentine shape. The buckle was normally worn on the outside instep of the boot, secured by a leather strap or small chain under the instep, with another one running over it.