 Western & Eastern Treasures Magazine 10 Best Finds of 1995
#4
Few artifacts of the antebellum South evoke such intense interest and sentiments as the slave tags or "hire badges" of Charleston, South Carolina, and finding one is the dream of every relic hunter. For Bruce Mayer, not only did that dream come true last year, but just as this issue of W&ET was being readied for publication, we received word that he'd found another! Annually issued and worn by slaves being contracted out for labor, the tags were marked with the name of the city, the year, an individual identification number, and job description ‹ servant, porter, mechanic, carpenter, etc. Although they were reportedly in use in the 18th century, the oldest extant tag is dated 1800 (see last year's "Ten Best Finds"); the last ones were issued in 1863.
Copyright © 1996 People's Publishing |
