Charleston South Carolina Slave Badge (MIS6649)
Price: $4,750.00
Item Number: MIS6649
Houston Location.
In stock
Measures 1 3/8” x 1 3/8” made of tarnished copper. This tag looks to have been excavated. This example is dated 1860 and has the issuance number of 1363. Enslavers were required to obtain a badge annually from the Charleston city's treasury office for any enslaved person working outside their domain. The resulting income from these ancillary services were sometimes kept by the enslaver completely, divided equally, or, in some recorded instances, kept by the enslaved laborer entirely. Charleston was the only city that did this with tags. This is a relic from a very sad time in our country’s history.