Slave tag

[Kentucky Kache]

Could this be authentic? I've been told that only the "Charleston" tags were valuable.

 

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[Vrent]

I do not know if that is authentic or not, but I do know just recently a charleston fruiterr tag went for 35k so perhaps someone made a knock off

 

[JakePhelps]

Well, heres a quote from a website:

The only genuine Slave Tags are from Charleston and Charleston Neck. All genuine Charleston Tags are struck from dies.

So i guess its a fake ? Was it dug or bought?

 

[Kentucky Kache]

Bought. I bet you guessed that. Oh, well. Back to the drawing board.

 

[JakePhelps]

hmmm Whered you get it and for how much? It is in the right format, but its just the wrong town. If you got it off ebay, it a fake! But if you got it somewhere else it could be an old fake

 

[lonewolfe]

Cool tag!

HH

Lonewolfe

 

[Mental Granny]

Besides-no such word as fruiterier.
http://www.allwords.com/query.php?S...rier&goquery=Find+it!&Language=ENG&v=78271592

Nice conversation piece though.

 

[JakePhelps]

It really isnt a word but it used to be an occupation. Its found on some genuine slave tags.

 

[ruck]

I dont know any thing about slave tags,but I would think way back then people made thier own tags.Would that make them Unofficial tags rather than Fakes? Ruck

 

[gldhntr]

slave tags were made in other places besides charleston....have seen many dug in va that were made in va, and definantly authentic..........check into them a little deeper................gldhntr

 

[TORRERO]

I've seen / dug 3 slave tags out of Charleston 15 years ago, all sold, so I don't have them now,
As I was informed after doing some research, Charleston and Charleston Neck were the only US places to ever make them.
they were issued by the city government to collect a type of tax on slaves that were "rented" out for hire to others for work of specific
skills. The tag I had were the most common "Servant" tags, but it is known that there were many variaties including "Fruitarar" (or whatever) , Freeblack, Blacksmith,
fisherman, and in the records there is mention of a "vender" although I don't believe any of these have ever been found.
The earliest known ones date from 1810 ? ara, but are rare, they were issued every year, so each year they had to be replaced.
there have been a few dug that had one year on the front and another on the back, but rare.
the general design of this, is correct in the way it looks, but for me its a fake...
I hope this helps.
anyone who handles antiques in Charleston could confirm what we all believe.
Richard

 

[exonumia]

re: Richmond Fruiterer slave "tag"

I can say that this is positively a MODERN FANTASY tag. Please see my web site at http://www.exonumia.com/slave.htm for more information on Slave Tags. ALL known genuine Slave Tags are from Charleston, or the suburb Charleston Neck. There are NO known Tags from any other location, period. The crooks and fakers make up these FANTASY tags, as the Hobby Protection Act protects against forgeries and fakes, but it is more vague on fantasy pieces. A 'fantasy' is an item that never existed, and in this case, this has been recently made to look like genuine Slave Tags in shape and feel. This fantasy tag is absolutely a modern product, made to deceive. There are LOTS of fake and fantasy slave related items for sale on the internet, especially on eBay. About 99% of the so-called 'Slave Tags' on eBay are fake or fantasy. Genuine Tags generally bring $2000 up, mostly up, and as reported, some WAY up in the $20000+ range. I, and other experts, check eBay every week for Tags, and you positively will not be able to buy any genuine Tag under $500. Most of the fake/fantasy 'tags' on eBay sell in the $25-100 range. Obviously, if you can't afford a $2000-5000 Tag, a good fake for $25 is an alternative, if you want some history of Slavery. The problem is, a year or ten down the road, the $25 fake suddenly becomes a treasured relic worth thousands! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!
Rich Hartzog www.exonumia.com

 

[JakePhelps]

Welcome and thanks for the info! now we know what to look out for Your site is alot of help to people, I had a fake "pender" disk and your site helped me prove it a fake and i told the guy on ebay if i ever see him selling them again i would report him.

 

[exonumia]

Thanks, glad to be of help. BTW, there is a new booklet out on the fantasy Confederate Pender/etc. disks, $4.95 & postage, if you are interested. I stock it, or you can order from the author. Not to get off the topic of "Slave Tag", but the Pender disks are interesting in that they purport to be hand engraved Civil War dog tags on US coins, of important CSA officers, but the 'coin' is actually a CAST Counterfeit and is the wrong size! Several different exist, and can (again) be found on eBay. BTW, there are LOTS of fake and/or fantasy items on eBay and on the internet, from fantasy tokens/medals (my specialty) to swords, belt plates (the ones with a bullet imbedded in the plate are always a neat fake!), cannons and virtually everything else that can be made up today. Much of this junk is made here, but I've also gotten samples from fakers in Pakistan, offering copies of CW belt plates and other re-enactment items. Of course, that is a problem, the Civil War re-enactors are wanting to buy inexpensive copies of rare items, to have a display 'original' to the CW period. But, 99% of the new copies/fakes are not marked as to country of origin or date, so the material gets into the marketplace as original items! Sorry, rant/rave, too many fakes, too little time. The simple rule is: If it is too good to be true, it probably is a fake/fantasy. Beware, there are LOTS of fake/fantasy items out there, and the crooks want your money! Rich Hartzog

 

[JakePhelps]

I don't buy stuff off ebay alot anymore, more of the flea market (no shipping) type Sides, i dont have any money left :P I have actaully seen a few genuine belt buckles with bullets in them, but most of the time it just clean passed thru or its mushroomed. If you look at the fakes on ebay the bullets are not even dented! they just stick out both ends :P I also have a civil war "tag" that says yankee slayers on it, obviously a fake. I wonder if anyone ever faked grapeshot or cannonballs I made a post awhile ago about fake stuff on ebay. One of the main things people do is write in the discription, "sold without provinence" or "origin unknown so listing as modern" - just their way of avoiding prosecution for selling counterfiet goods. Most of these people prolly know theyre stuff is fake but try and pass it off

 

[rvbvetter]

Interesting stuff.
Just curious. Do you think any of the slave owners could have forged these tags themselves?
In order to escape any government tax? HH

 

[exonumia]

re: Forgery of Slave Tags. Well, an interesting idea, but please realize that original Slave Tags were made by highly regarded silversmiths, with relief single-line bar punches. Even today it is very expensive to make such a punch (but the fakers have proven the initial expense is worthwhile, as they can make genuine-looking fakes). Back ca. 1800-1865, only experts (ie, silversmiths, or possibly other 'smiths', tinsmiths, etc.) had the ability to make such a punch. A fully incuse punched 'tag' would be obviously fake. And, the Charleston laws provided for fines for people working for-hire without badges/tags. So, while it is very, very remotely possible some silversmith made close copies, it really is exceedingly unlikely. A faker back then would have had to make a LOT of tags to recoup the cost/time of making the bar stamps. And, with a serial number on each one, it was easy enough to figure out which slave was supposed to have each Tag. So, it is possible, but not likely. There are two fully incuse 'tags' in the Charleston Museum that have been there since the 1930's (as I recall), donated by a well-known coin dealer. I am convinced they are early fakes, probably made post-1900 for collectors. But, it is possible they were used during Slavery times. The historal record does not provide any information (that I know of) regarding fake comtemporary 'tags'.

BTW, if you collect or are interested in Slave Tags, please stop by my web site at www.exonumia.com and send me an email direct hartzog @ exonumia.com . Rich Hartzog

 

[waldopeppa]

The tag pictured above is definately a fake. lolol I can't believe they are still trying to duplicate them. In all my years of collecting slave artifacts I have never seen a "good" fake.