Slave tag

DoranHashemi

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Old man showed us this. I almost fainted. Looks like a slave tag. He said it was. He's been detecting for 30 years and found this in South Carolina Any experts? image.jpg
 

cw0909

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im no expert,but ive seen i think 2 here B4,sorry i cant find the links, good news i think it is a slave tag
just awesome,could you give more on where your friend found it,this isnt the link i was looking for,but
you should be able to see,if i find the other links ill post them what a fantastic find
just adding it is known as a slave hire badge,the slave was hired out for x amount of time
US Slave: Cast in Bondage: Charleston Slave Tags and Slave Badges
badges%u00252BCharlestonSlaveTags1L.jpg
 

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jeff of pa

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Slave Tags are so Rare I am always very Leary of any that are dug.

I just wonder how many Fantasy pieces are lost out there,
compared to the real Things.

That said I'm no expert.
Just Cautious till an Expert opinion is included.
 

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mcb66

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This is one of the most faked SC artifacts. Always beware or at least be aware when dealing with these.
 

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CoilyGirl

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Keeping my eye out on this thread. I sure hope what you found is real as they are very hard to come by as Jeff said.
 

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jeff of pa

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just Remember the Best way to Fake (age) a Counterfeit Relic is to Bend, Burn and/or Bury it
for a good 20 years if they have the time :thumbsup:
wont fool an Expert, But May fool Me if I dug it :tongue3:
Hopefully he's smarter them me on these things
 

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mical66

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being my luck if i burnt and buried a few fake tags for 20 years , some guy a week before i go to dig them up would find in the back of his grandpas shed a box full of 1,000 slave tags that his grandpa got of his grandpa and totaly ruin the market price ...:tongue3:
 

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kuger

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I dont beleive any have been found outside Charleston?Thats a good start for authenticating it.I bet it is real.There is a feller back there that has dug 25-30 of them.CC Hunter on here could tell ya if you PM him
 

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DoranHashemi

DoranHashemi

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Thanks everyone Can't get a pic of the back right now but I am going back to his place this week. Ill take a pic then
 

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kuger

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See if you can get more photos of the back and front side again.. Something like this needs to have more than 1 photo! Slave tags can be found anywhere there was slaves and they come in all different sizes and shapes. Slaves that worked for corporate big plantations were known too have to wear them all the time while smaller farms or plantation the slaves didn't need too wear them all the time. Please post what the writing on the artifact says too you so you can research it.

..about %99 positive your wrong about that....they are/have been only found in and directly around Charelston.I would dearly like to hear of any found any where else.Also, tags were made in three shapes, round, square and diamond

also

" Several southern cities accommodated slave owners by developing a system to hire out their slaves. In early colonial times hiring slaves was an ad hoc affair, a private arrangement between the owner and the recipient of the labor. By the second decade of the 18th century, slavery for hire became regulated by local government. While Savannah, Mobile, New Orleans, Norfolk, and Charleston regulated the practice through the passage of "badge laws," only Charleston and Charleston Neck, a small suburb of Charleston, actually issued slave hire badges. The badge allowed short term employment without written contracts or other documentation. Moreover, hired slaves, by wearing a badge, could be easily distinguished from runaways or free blacks."
 

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kuger

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I meant too say.. Slave tags can be found anywhere there was slaves down in the South Carolina area of Charleston (basically almost everyone knows that).. but you are right 90% of them are found down in that area and thanks for the correction. It would be good too know what this tag is saying! Again thanks for the correction..

...I really doubt"everybody",knows that,c'mon dude,just admit you didnt know what you are talking about.Pretty big difference in what you said,and what you claim you meant
 

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kuger

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A typo is when you leave out a letter,not when you post up complete wrong info!This is a place for people to get accurate information not make believe,some kind of game.If that kills your buzz,so be it.Even in your reply,you post wrong info("they are found in South Carolina"no,just Chareston...,show me credible proof of a tag being found anywhere but Chareston.I admit when I am wrong.Helping out is giving truthful info.I dont give two chits if you have me on ignore!
 

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DCMatt

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Not an expert at slave tags but purty good at finding stuff on the internet.

Here's a pic of another 1823 Charleston Mechanic tag:

382fa98fd5f5e6c8dd66a918b1ce3e80.jpg
Slave Tags - Page 2

Characteristics are remarkably similar. It appears to have the Lafar stamp under the date. If it's a fake, someone did their homework. Of course, they usually do...

DCMatt
 

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