Heart Attack Time??

[BioProfessor]

I've been lucky enough to get a few places to hunt around Charleston. Most are soggy bogs that have been logged, horse pastures, and other "great" places.

I take what I get.

I hunted a timbered bog this past weekend and wound up with one flat, slick button and some crap.

I looked at the pile on the table this morning and decided to look at it one more time and then toss it. I washed stuff off and was tossing it in the trash can.

I washed this piece off and thought I could see some letters or something so I thought I could tell what telephone pole it came off of. So I used a little cleaner on it.

Letters started to appear - "S" then "ER" and a "18" I hit the floor. I picked myself up and finished cleaning.

It ain't in the best shape, but it's a SLAVE TAG!!!!

Gotta be my best find of the year. They say compared to finding these 30 miles from Charleston, gold coins are easy.

It's ugly. But it's mine and I HAD to share.

Daryl - still shaking a bit

 

[BioProfessor]

Bulk mailing discount.

Daryl

 

[pepperj]

How much of the tag is missing? Looks like part of the top is gone.
Just a thought that it was bent up and thrown away?
Either way congrats on the Banner find.

 

[BioProfessor]

Yep. Common practice back them from what I understand. The top should say "Charleston." That is the ONLY place they were ever made. So the slave may have bent and torn off the top and then proceeded to deface the rest of the tag. They didn't like them - Duh - and many times would do this if they got the chance.

Daryl

 

[Moonshadow]

Wow.....an awesome piece of history and a killer find! Big congats on your banner!

HH,
Moon

 

[OldSowBreath]

It appears you can read "No." and thus the number of the tag is defaced, probably intentionally. To me, that makes it even more interesting historically. "I am not a number!"

 

[Jason in TN]

If this in fact is a original I would say it is a very rare type have dealt with these a bit again I am no expert but have never seen one that shape with #'s and letters in that arrangement. another link

http://www.wakeforestcoins.com/slave badges/slave badges.htm

 

[Iron Patch]

It appears you can read "No." and thus the number of the tag is defaced, probably intentionally. To me, that makes it even more interesting historically. "I am not a number!"

I know very little about slave tags but have a hard time believing a slave would deface his tag. They were slaves and I don't think they'd dare ruin anything, and especially that.

Now if it was a "FREE" tag, then maybe there would be a case for it. But thinking a little more, probably not, that thing was their get out of jail card!

 

[phantomfinder]

Thats a super great find, WTG

 

[grafter]

all i can say is banner banner

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Again.

Congratulations Doc.

That's a needle in a very large hay stack.

Please post that when you get it done I'd love to see it displayed.
Send a pic to Steve at www.nstcivilwar.com I'm sure he will publish it.
Congrats again friend.

 

[aa battery]

 

[kimsdad]

Congrats on that awesome banner find and piece of our history!!!

 

[Garabaldi]

Big Congrats Bio. Find of a lifetime. The equivalent of that find for me in mass would be a tree coin. Banner find for sure. You deserve it. I am not sure if I would restore it or keep it as found. All the best.

 

[BenVA]

Awesome find. Congrats

 

[TORRERO]

I know very little about slave tags but have a hard time believing a slave would deface his tag. They were slaves and I don't think they'd dare ruin anything, and especially that.

Now if it was a "FREE" tag, then maybe there would be a case for it. But thinking a little more, probably not, that thing was their get out of jail card!

Slave tags were issued every year for the purpose of keeping track of work slaves did outside
of a plantation... They were good for only 1 year...

I would have to believe that after the Civil War, they may have been seen as a piece of bad memory and beat and destroyed Obviosly considering where they are found, they were thrown away...

I dug 2 when I was stationed in Charleston SC in the Navy back in the early 90's sold them both
and now don't have them... both were found downtown area of Charleston...

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Oh you turkey you made the banner!

Wooo-hooo!


Congrats Doc

Mike and Maggie

 

[Breezie]

Sweeeeeeeeeet! Congrats Daryl! Breezie

 

[RiverRat3]

Wow, Congrats on the find!

 

[rjw4law]

If I had found this, I would not have known what it was....great find.

 

[BioProfessor]

When I found it in all the muck - which is all we have to dig in these days - I didn't know what it was either. It was a mud covered piece of bent metal with some holes in it. That's why it was in my CRAP bag and stayed in my JUNK pile for several days. It was just sheer boredom that made me pick it up, rinse it off and see some lettering on it. So I KNOW what one of these are since this is the only place you find them but it ALMOST got tossed. But what was a DOUBLE piece of luck was that this one is not the normal shape. It's a square/rectangle when you put the letters level when most are diamond shape. So the fact that this did not wind up in the trash is one for the ages. Especially me.

I wonder how much CRAP we have all thrown away when hunting in a "strange" area that was really a great find? Never know. Probably don't want to know.

Thanks for all the comments. I appreciate them.

Daryl