My Find Of A Lifetime

Skrimpy

Bronze Member
Aug 16, 2006
1,300
61
smAlbany, NY
Detector(s) used
DFX
B.H. said:
I dug this 1813 Charleston CARPENTER slave tag #35,January,7th.2007.
I have dug several others,but this is my best!
There are only 4 1813 CARPENTER slave tags known..1 in the Charleston,S.C. Museum..3 in private hands.
This is the lowest numbered one to date.
I have included actual photos of the tag being dug.
So does yours make 4 or does it make 5?
 

cream43

Jr. Member
Jan 3, 2007
47
3
South Carolina
Detector(s) used
White's MXT
Very Nice Find!!!! ;D ;D ;D I've been detecting in the low country for about 3 years now but have never found a slave tag. Yours was obviously on private property as I've been told by a City Offical that all parks in the Charleston area where most of the badges were used are closed to Metal Detecting.
Sounds like you've done your homework and you may already know that one of the currators of the Charleston Library wrote a book on Slave Tags about 3 years ago in collaboration with a local Dentist. I'm sure its still available.
You've got my vote for best find! :o
 

EDDE

Gold Member
Dec 7, 2004
7,129
65
Detector(s) used
Troy X5
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
sell that puppy and be a happy man ;D also get a few miles from the mags and articles etc ;)
 

OP
OP
B.H.

B.H.

Full Member
Mar 8, 2006
117
14
Ace Basin
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Cibola and Troy Shadow X-5
Skrimpy said:
B.H. said:
I dug this 1813 Charleston CARPENTER slave tag #35,January,7th.2007.
I have dug several others,but this is my best!
There are only 4 1813 CARPENTER slave tags known..1 in the Charleston,S.C. Museum..3 in private hands.
This is the lowest numbered one to date.
I have included actual photos of the tag being dug.
So does yours make 4 or does it make 5?

Mine makes 4 1813 Carpenter's
 

OP
OP
B.H.

B.H.

Full Member
Mar 8, 2006
117
14
Ace Basin
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Cibola and Troy Shadow X-5
cream43 said:
Very Nice Find!!!! ;D ;D ;D I've been detecting in the low country for about 3 years now but have never found a slave tag. Yours was obviously on private property as I've been told by a City Offical that all parks in the Charleston area where most of the badges were used are closed to Metal Detecting.
Sounds like you've done your homework and you may already know that one of the currators of the Charleston Library wrote a book on Slave Tags about 3 years ago in collaboration with a local Dentist. I'm sure its still available.
You've got my vote for best find! :o

The Dentist is a personal friend..I have a signed copy of the book on slave tags ;D ;D
 

River Rat

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jan 6, 2006
20,846
2,532
SE Louisiana
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, Ace 250 & Ace 400
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Oh man, this is awesome!!! Congratulations ;D ;D

;) RR
 

Mirage

Silver Member
Sep 16, 2005
3,718
38
Cleveland, OH
Awesome find. In great condition too. ;D ;D Neat that it is so rare.

I sometimes wonder if rare finds will become "less rare" by people finding more of the ones that are not in "circulation". You know ...the law of supply and demand. My wife's uncle was one of the primary investors in the recovery of the gold from the Central America. He told us that there was so much of it that it greatly lowered it's value(too much supply and not enough demand).
 

Skrimpy

Bronze Member
Aug 16, 2006
1,300
61
smAlbany, NY
Detector(s) used
DFX
Mirage said:
Awesome find. In great condition too. ;D ;D Neat that it is so rare.

I sometimes wonder if rare finds will become "less rare" by people finding more of the ones that are not in "circulation". You know ...the law of supply and demand. My wife's uncle was one of the primary investors in the recovery of the gold from the Central America. He told us that there was so much of it that it greatly lowered it's value(too much supply and not enough demand).

I heard a similar thing concerning some rare gold coins that were found in abundance in a shipwreck recently...don't ask me what kind of coins, or what kind of ship...I don't remember. All I know is that the guy found some number of rare, priceless gold coins numbering in the thousands and as soon as the world found out how many were found the value of that specific coin dropped to close to the value of the gold they were made out of. Supply and demand. Law holds for everything but diamonds and oil. Diamonds and gold (sorry my mistake) oil prices are set by world wide Cartel running dirtbags called Debeers and Saudis.
 

Bigcypresshunter

Gold Member
Dec 15, 2004
27,000
3,338
South Florida
Detector(s) used
70's Whites TM Amphibian, HH Pulse, Ace 250
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
B.H. said:
FMarion2ndRegSC said:
Hey BH, that's a good one right there. I think I recognize that sandy soil!! LOL Great find! Lafar backstamped. That's the last year they made CARPENTER tags (switched to calling them mechanics) AND the last year they they ENGRAVED numbers on hire badges. Awesome condition. I agree...find of a LIFETIME. The holy grail for southern US metal detectorists. Congratulations!!!

It appears that you have read Dr.Harry Hutchins Jr's book on slave tags.
You are right on in the description.Number 69 has been found for 1813 so we know that at least 69 were made that year.We are looking for the others..lol...the sandy soil is very kind to the relics we find with our Tesoro's
Here is a story of slave tags and No. 59.
http://www.treasurenet.com/westeast/97-11/featurearticle1.html
 

Skrimpy

Bronze Member
Aug 16, 2006
1,300
61
smAlbany, NY
Detector(s) used
DFX
bongo1962 said:
Rich Dirtbags. or as Joe would call them, Deerte Bags.

I've heard that if people start putting diamonds on the market they basically get "muscled" into not putting them on by thugs from Debeers....and I meant oil by the way where I typed Gold in my previous post. I must have Gold on the brain.
 

Skrimpy

Bronze Member
Aug 16, 2006
1,300
61
smAlbany, NY
Detector(s) used
DFX
B.H. said:
SilverDreams said:
Great job! How deep was it?

About 14-16 inches in sandy soil :) :)

Holy Moly! 14-16?!?! What are you swinging to get that depth? I can only get that with the DFX in wet soil with the thing in mixed or all metal mode.
 

OP
OP
B.H.

B.H.

Full Member
Mar 8, 2006
117
14
Ace Basin
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Cibola and Troy Shadow X-5
Skrimpy said:
B.H. said:
SilverDreams said:
Great job! How deep was it?

About 14-16 inches in sandy soil :) :)

Holy Moly! 14-16?!?! What are you swinging to get that depth? I can only get that with the DFX in wet soil with the thing in mixed or all metal mode.

Tesoro Bandito 2 UMax hunting in discriminate mode..auto ground balance
 

trey525

Greenie
May 4, 2008
17
1
i have several books with everything you can imagine in them and as much as i hate to say this and dont get me wrong its a beautiful piece but its very possible it is a slave tag i dont condone that so please dont think that but it looks alot like the ones i have in my book and i may very well may be wrong but it looks awful close it would have been worn around the neck with his trade or skill and the date with a name i hope i am wrong im just saying what it looks like in the books i have

trey525
 

Bigcypresshunter

Gold Member
Dec 15, 2004
27,000
3,338
South Florida
Detector(s) used
70's Whites TM Amphibian, HH Pulse, Ace 250
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
trey525 said:
i have several books with everything you can imagine in them and as much as i hate to say this and dont get me wrong its a beautiful piece but its very possible it is a slave tag i dont condone that so please dont think that but it looks alot like the ones i have in my book and i may very well may be wrong but it looks awful close it would have been worn around the neck with his trade or skill and the date with a name i hope i am wrong im just saying what it looks like in the books i have

trey525
you dont condone what? ??? ??? I dont understand your post. :-\
 

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