119A

A rare bonze Charleston slave tag

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:1,500.00 - 2,000.00 USD
A rare bonze Charleston slave tag
A rare bonze Charleston slave tag, 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" engraved "1858 CHARLESTON SERVANT 734", with a small hole through which a leather lace was once threaded. By law, slaves in Charleston were obliged to be registered for purposes of taxation, with their profession and registry number stated on the tag. Our example was excavated during construction at the city's Market Square, and is accompanied by color photos showing the scene of the dig. Very slightly cleaned, showing typical minor pitting and wear yet fully and easily legible, overall very good. A good moderately-priced example.
$1,500-2,000