Recontruction of Belt from Herculaneum and Pompeii in 79 AD.

[caiusbeerquitius]

Going back to a legionaries belt being an indication of his saved wealth. It would seem to follow then that a newer soldier would have a simpler belt, since he's amassed less wealth, and the exact opposite. An ornate belt may indicate a soldier's experience then.

Yes, but the decoration does not say alot about the worth of an item in Antiquity. The material is decisive. Like in modern turkey, e.g. where you pay for the metal price when you buy jewelry, in Anitquity the quality of decoration was not making a difference in price - only rare high-quality pieces by famous artists were more expensive...