This was a type of protective gear featuring small to medium sized metal or iron plating, normally incorporated into a leather coat or shirt. Sometimes known as Lamellar Plating or Brigantine Plate, the pieces of plating would be riveted or sewn onto the outer wear in horizontal or vertical rows. Possibly one of the earliest forms of Medieval Mail wear, it can trace it's origins back to the 9th/10th Centuries. Relatively cheap and easy to produce, it was an effective way to protect all types of troops in the field. Plated armor vesting such as the Brigantine fashion was popular with infantry units. They were NOT designed to be form fitting (as was the fashion in The Middle Ages). Due to the spacing between the plating however, Plated Mail had problems when faced with cleaving weapons (if properly struck). Plated Armor was often incorporated with other forms of protective wear.