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A coat of plates (known in the European Middle Ages as a pair of plates^[1]) is a form of torso armour consisting of metal plates sewn or riveted to a cloth or leather backing. The plates number anywhere from eight or ten to the hundreds depending on their size. The plates overlap but usually only enough to guarantee full coverage even when moving around and fighting. The coat of plates is similar to several other armours such as scale armour and brigandine. Unlike scale or splint armour a coat of plates has the plates on the inside of the foundation garment. It is generally distinguished from a brigandine by having larger plates though there may be no distinction in some examples.

The coat of plates makes a fairly brief appearance in the history of European armour during the era of transitional armour, during a portion of the 14th century. The coat of plates was normally worn with a mail hauberk, a helmet of either the bascinet or great helm style (or both). Additionally limb defenses of hardened leather armour, plate armour and/or splint armour, frequently over mail, would be worn to complete the harness.

One of the best resources about coats of plates are the mass graves from the Battle of Visby. The Visby coats of plates display between 8 and some 600 separate plates fastened to their backings. ^[2] The mass grave from a battle in 1361 has yielded a tremendous number of intact armour finds including 24 distinct patterns of coat of plates style armour.

The coat of plates likely developed from the armoured surcoat, such as seen on the St. Maurice coat.[1] These consisted simply of metal plates rivetted to the inside of a surcoat. The plates did not overlap and the garment was not fitted but is otherwise similar.

Contents 1 See also 2 External Links 3 Notes 4 References

• Lamellar armour
• Brigandine

• Reconstucted examples of 25 coat of plate armours from the Visby find

• Edge, David; John Miles Paddock [1988] (1993). Arms & Armor of the Medieval Knight, Crescent Books reprint, New York: Crescent Books. ISBN 0-517-10319-2. 
• Thordeman, Bengt [1939] (2001). Armour from the Battle of Wisby, 1361, Chivalry Bookshelf reprint, Chivalry Bookshelf. ISBN 1-891448-05-6. 
• Counts, David. "Examination of St. Maurice Coat of Plates", The Arador Armour Library, retrieved 3/22/07