I have a Ballard buttstock with incredible pattern that I would like to use. However, the buttstock came without a buttplate and now I am left guessing. Part of me thinks it may be a Niedner type buttplate, but then looking at the pre-carved area, does it look like someone started to fit a thick buttplate that was relieved on the underside?

It has a slight curve and a widow's peak at the top.

I don't want to end up with a collection of buttplates, but I also don't want to waste this wood.

Any help is appreciated.

Joe
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Joe, since there has been no replies, I will give it a go with my thoughts.

I tend to agree with your thoughts on the Niedner, or at least the one CPA has. 

1.5 x 5 inches.  It looks like you would have about 1//16 inch all around it, once installed.  This would also allow for some change in trigger pull length, shorter anyway.  It also looks like about 1/4 inch curvature.

The raised area looks to me like a raised clearance for the stock carving fixture.  Maybe someone hit it with a rasp around the edges, but it doesn’t look like a serious attempt to install anything.
Bob

It really helps to have a wide assortment of these when you're trying to match a stock.  The dimensions and curvature of them is all over the place.  

The most likely fits are pre-64 winchester, and Niedner.  Here's pictures with dimensions of 5 of them that I pulled out of my stock.  I think the first Niedner is the one Bob referenced above, and I think it's too thin at the end to fit your stock without a lot of modification.  The large Winchester one looks to be about the closest fit.   

I can't recommend a good way to get these, except by accumulating a large stock to shop from when you need them.

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I've kept every good plate that I've run into for 20 years, as I use them up steadily.  What I have found is there are a lot of short and narrow plates out there.  I resell those, as I get an excess.  The long and wide ones are harder to find.  On the pre-64 plates, I think winchester belt sanded down the stocks with the plates on them to fit.  There is a wide margin on the band around the checkering, particularly at the toe.  The three I showed are the same plate, but the shorter one has had the toe sanded down.  

If you're buying these on ebay or from photos, pay particular attention to the length and width, and you can use the margin around the checkering as a guide to how it has been shaped.

That is a spectacular piece of wood. Makes me wonder what happened to the plate and why it's not on a rifle.

I agree, winchester dimentions. Tteebone also has them if chuckster's doesn't work.

It looks like the Winchester will work as it never had a butt plate installed and some fitting will be required. The Sharps checkered butt plate may work as well and would be more period correct. The Winchester came along much later.

Just avoid the activation and send it to me for my birthday 🎂