Slave tag question

[the_mad_cladder]

Does anyone know if slave tags are exclusive to SC or are they found in other states? I have read that they were all made in SC.
My buddy has some land in Virginia that was a plantation and was just wondering what the chances of there being a tag there would be. I know they are rare but I don't wanna get my hopes up for nothing.

 

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[jeff of pa]

I wouldn't rule out a SC slave tag being found in Virginia
it would be rare, But

would be even more rare to find a Virginia Slave tag.
and if you did, it would be declared fake.
proving they existed would definitely be a miracle

 

[fyrffytr1]

I think the only verified slave tags are from Charleston or Charleston Neck SC. here is an interesting link to some info on them.
SLAVE TAGS Primer: Genuine, Fake and Fantasy Tags | eBay

 

[Boatlode]

I think the only verified slave tags are from Charleston or Charleston Neck SC. here is an interesting link to some info on them.
SLAVE TAGS Primer: Genuine, Fake and Fantasy Tags | eBay

If there are no historical records to identify slave tags, how can this guy claim the only "real" ones are the ones he says are authentic? For coins, we have mint records. Sounds like he is trying to inflate the value of his collection. Just sayin.

 

[jeff of pa]

If there are no historical records to identify slave tags, how can this guy claim the only "real" ones are the ones he says are authentic? For coins, we have mint records. Sounds like he is trying to inflate the value of his collection. Just sayin.

Correct ! There is such a Stigma connected to Slavery I'm surprised South Carolina doesn't try to deny their
existence. any other state that may have slave tags in their past,
would most likely have destroyed the records & pray word never gets out

 

[CincinnatiKid]

Thanks mad_cladder for thread.
Thanks fyrffytr1 for an interesting read. I was unaware that slave tags were exclusive to S.C.
Hopefully, a post that refutes this will show.
Peace ✌

 

[CincinnatiKid]

I viewed a YouTube video by SCdigger, entitled; The FIND of a LIFETIME!!!! WOW!! #67
He digs a Charleston 1847 "Porter" #452 slave tag, and is quite excited.
Give a look.
Peace ✌

 

[the_mad_cladder]

I had read somewhere that the tags were all made in SC but it didn't say they were only used there. I assumed, seems incorrectly, that they were made there but used in other places. Guess I can forget about finding one in VA.

While I was reading on the subject I came across this interesting article:
Pieces of Charleston's history ending up on eBay - Live5News.com | Charleston, SC | News, Weather, Sports
It tells about a construction project where some dirt was removed, relocated and later searched by some guy with a metal detector. He has sold 14 tags on ebay that he found in the dirt! It really burned a lot of people up but after an investigation it was determined he obtained them legally. Seems the folks there wanted the tags to be retained locally to preserve the history. If it was me I would have at least donated a couple to a museum and sold the rest.
I doubt anyone wants to have a tag in a museum or on their mantle to celebrate slavery but rather to remind folks of history. Good or bad history should be preserved. People still re-enact the civil war even though this country lost hundreds of thousands of men during it..... I doubt any civil war buff is happy about those deaths. They simply don't want folks to forget.

 

[jeff of pa]

I had read somewhere that the tags were all made in SC but it didn't say they were only used there. I assumed, seems incorrectly, that they were made there but used in other places. Guess I can forget about finding one in VA.

While I was reading on the subject I came across this interesting article:
Pieces of Charleston's history ending up on eBay - Live5News.com | Charleston, SC | News, Weather, Sports
It tells about a construction project where some dirt was removed, relocated and later searched by some guy with a metal detector. He has sold 14 tags on ebay that he found in the dirt! It really burned a lot of people up but after an investigation it was determined he obtained them legally. Seems the folks there wanted the tags to be retained locally to preserve the history. If it was me I would have at least donated a couple to a museum and sold the rest.
I doubt anyone wants to have a tag in a museum or on their mantle to celebrate slavery but rather to remind folks of history. Good or bad history should be preserved. People still re-enact the civil war even though this country lost hundreds of thousands of men during it..... I doubt any civil war buff is happy about those deaths. They simply don't want folks to forget.

if they wanted them so bad, they could have bid on them.

But I imagine instead, they sat back & contacted Lawyers Trying to find a way to legally steal them from the seller.

 

[the_mad_cladder]

if they wanted them so bad, they could have bid on them.

But I imagine instead, they sat back & contacted Lawyers Trying to find a way to legally steal them from the seller.

It seems thats exactly what they did! They sent detectives after him. I don't fault the guy for what he did at all. Personally, I would have donated a couple of them but finders keepers. For all we know the guy had planned to do that and then realized the cops had been called and changed his mind. Sore losers are the worst.