Banded mail is a neologism coined in the 19th century. It has become entrenched in the popular consciousness as a result of its inclusion in the armor list for the Dungeons and Dragons. Described as a type of composite armor formed by combining the concepts behind the Roman lorica segmentata with splint mail, its historicity is doubtful.
However, there exists substantial confusion because of the wide variety of terms/names by which similar armors are known. Banded Mail has been described as "a form of mail reinforced with bands of leather", as"overlapping horizontal strips of laminated metal sewn over a backing of normal chain mail and soft leather backing" and as "many thin sheets of metal are hammered or riveted together".
The latter description more closely fits splinted mail, which consists of long metal splints connected by mail/leather used for arm and leg protection. The final description of metal plates riveted to a sub-strate describe a Coat_of_Plates, Jack_of_Plates or brigandine, all of which consist of metal plates riveted to a leather or cloth 'fronting'. Finally, armor constructed of historical rows of plates/platelets sewn or laced together (without backing/fronting would be considered laminar. The term that currently has currency for small metal plates joined together by chainmail seems to be plate mail or plated mail.
Although considered real during the 19th century,[1][2] later books on history claim that banded mail arose due to a misinterpretation of medieval manuscripts and tomb effigies.[3]
While there have been some attempts at modern reconstruction of banded mail, there are no known historic examples of banded mail, and existing manuscript/effigy representation seem to be a variety of methods for depicting chainmail.
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