✅ SOLVED 1897 Brass Tag ... for what?

[robertk]

OK, I know this is a tag. It appears to be brass. It's not very big and would fit on a good sized dog collar, but I don't think that's what it is. Found at a rural homesite dating to the late 1800s. It was not in a town or city (then or now), so there would certainly not have been any "leash law" or anything like that. No permits for much of anything. I thought the "M.D.T." might stand for "Missouri Department of Transportation" (which goes by "MoDoT" these days), but that didn't exist until 1913, presumably well after this tag was stamped 1897. I don't think it's a cattle tag (all the ones I've ever seen were round). Maybe the M.D.T. is the initials of a person or company, but I have not been able to find anything matching.

Any thoughts? What would this have been used for?

Front:

Back is completely blank.

 

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[ticndig]

Male Dog tax?

 

[robertk]

Male Dog tax?

Maybe but I wouldn’t think so, at least not here. Theres not even a dog tax now, much less in 1897.

 

[cudamark]

Metal Detecting Tax! Better pay up!

 

[robertk]

Metal Detecting Tax! Better pay up!

Oh I've been paying my fair share of that one for a long time.

 

[bartholomewroberts]

Missouri Department of Transport

 

[robertk]

Missouri Department of Transport

I thought that too, but the Missouri Department of Transportation didn't exist until 1913.

I've tried searching the web and old newspapers, but just searching on three letters turns out to be insanely difficult.

 

[ncsuwolf]

Mo dept of taxation

 

[robertk]

Mo dept of taxation

Good guess but they call that one the Missouri Department of Revenue (and always have, as far as I could find).

 

[Bramblefind]

There are a number of similarities to Missouri dog tags listed on Worthpoint. Though it would be missing the town name. If it is a dog tag it is an old one! Here are just a few, you can search Worthpoint and find many more -

One of these uses the "M D T" and is identified as Marshall, MO. I can't verify

6570 3-Missouri Dog Licenses: MDT 1913 (#73) + (2) St. Louis, D, 1926. Brass & a | #4670344096

6570 3-Missouri Dog Licenses: MDT 1913 (#73) + (2) St. Louis, D, 1926. Brass & aluminum, St. Louis is 38mm, unifaceYou will receive an email invoice from me after the auction closing -- check your bul

www.worthpoint.com

1895 tag from LaMonte

Vintage 1895 LAMONTE MO Missouri DOG TAX Tag CPT 15 | #4716611876

This vintage 1895 LaMonte Missouri Dog Tax Tag CPT 15 is a must-have for collectors of LaMonte Missouri memorabilia or dog collectibles. It is a unique piece of memorabilia that showcases a part of Mi

www.worthpoint.com

1920 Male dog tag from Kansas City

Vintage 1920 Dog Tag License Tax Registration KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI Antique MALE | #4546377442

1920 Kansas City Dog Tax tag in the condition shown. Made to mount on a collar. Buyer to pay the actual cost of shipping. Thanks!

www.worthpoint.com

1904 Knobnoster

Knobnoster, MO 1904 dog license Missouri token dog tag | #3761148472

1904 brass dog license variety dog tag from Missouri, MO. See the photos. I ship quickly, usually within 24 hours of payment. Sometimes I am away on business trips for as long as a week. In those case

www.worthpoint.com

 

[ncsuwolf]

There are a number of similarities to Missouri dog tags listed on Worthpoint. Though it would be missing the town name. If it is a dog tag it is an old one! Here are just a few, you can search Worthpoint and find many more -

One of these uses the "M D T" and is identified as Marshall, MO. I can't verify

6570 3-Missouri Dog Licenses: MDT 1913 (#73) + (2) St. Louis, D, 1926. Brass & a | #4670344096

6570 3-Missouri Dog Licenses: MDT 1913 (#73) + (2) St. Louis, D, 1926. Brass & aluminum, St. Louis is 38mm, unifaceYou will receive an email invoice from me after the auction closing -- check your bul

www.worthpoint.com

1895 tag from LaMonte

Vintage 1895 LAMONTE MO Missouri DOG TAX Tag CPT 15 | #4716611876

This vintage 1895 LaMonte Missouri Dog Tax Tag CPT 15 is a must-have for collectors of LaMonte Missouri memorabilia or dog collectibles. It is a unique piece of memorabilia that showcases a part of Mi

www.worthpoint.com

1920 Male dog tag from Kansas City

Vintage 1920 Dog Tag License Tax Registration KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI Antique MALE | #4546377442

1920 Kansas City Dog Tax tag in the condition shown. Made to mount on a collar. Buyer to pay the actual cost of shipping. Thanks!

www.worthpoint.com

1904 Knobnoster

Knobnoster, MO 1904 dog license Missouri token dog tag | #3761148472

1904 brass dog license variety dog tag from Missouri, MO. See the photos. I ship quickly, usually within 24 hours of payment. Sometimes I am away on business trips for as long as a week. In those case

www.worthpoint.com

Was thinking similar….not to get but too specific, was the location of find in/around a county or town that starts with m?

 

[robertk]

I see @Bramblefind and @ncsuwolf posted as I was typing this. You guys were on the right track.

I did some more searching and found that there is a Missouri Dog Tax, which is apparently still on the books, though I don't think anyone cares anymore (see RSMO 273.050). And it does in fact call for a metal tag with a number to be attached to the dog's collar (see RSMO 273.070). There's just one problem -- the law was passed in 1907, so there wouldn't have been a tag for 1897.

But, to add to the strangeness, I find that the closest nearby town (Marshfield) did have a "dog law" in place back in the 1890s. I can't find the text of the law or what exactly it covered, but I can find references to people paying the dog tax and getting collar plates for it. And I don't know why someone who didn't actually live in the city would be inclined to pay such a tax, but maybe, if they occasionally took the dog to town?

At any rate, I'm going to say that's probably what this is -- a literal dog tag issued by the nearest town, and MDT means Marshfield Dog Tax (or Tag).

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions!

And yes, this proves metal detecting is still fun!

 

[tinner]

I 'm thinking dog tag as well.