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1845 Charleston SERVANT Slave Hire Badge #1344

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Cultures & Ethnicities Start Price:400.00 USD Estimated At:1,600.00 - 2,000.00 USD
1845 Charleston SERVANT Slave Hire Badge #1344
<B>1845 Charleston SERVANT Slave Hire Badge. Number 1344.</B></I> A flat diamond-shaped tag with clipped corners, holed for suspension, 56mm x 56mm. William Rouse was the contracted manufacturer for this year (and several years to come). There is no hallmark as standard from badges of this time period. The elements on the front are as follows (top to bottom): "*CHARLESTON*" in a crescent-shaped bar punch; "1845" bar punched; "SERVANT" in a rectangular punch; and an incuse "1344" in individual punches. The condition is fine with a very dark coloration and evidence of a crease running diagonally across the front. The very top, near the hole, has a slight scrape, possibly from its excavation. <BR><BR>For some reason, there were about ten percent fewer slave hire badges issued in 1845 than in 1844 making this year (and 1846) the rarest of the 1840s decade.