Possible Slave Tag??

[tarheeldiggin]

I'm hoping there's a slave tag expert out there...

Found what looks to be a slave tag while hunting an old NC plantation property. Made of brass and may not be complete - looks like the top part may have been torn off. Has the letter "B" and the number "21". Nothing on the back side. Piece is 2" wide.

During the mid-1800's, this plantation was owned by the Boyd family. Could this have been an ID tag from one of the slaves? (Indian Head penny is only in the picture to show size)

 

[407floyd]

It's probably going to be a tool tag. Slave tags have a date and the owners name and probably the town or state name. Lots of info because they were valuable property to a plantation owner (Barbarian, money-grubbing, Southern state destroying, self-righteous hypocrites).

 

[dave5710]

I wish you had the top half. You might think this is silly, but it could be a number worn around the neck of a cow. The B could represent the owner, Boyd. Cattle were branded in the west with letters and symbols. I don't know about back in the East. A cow wouldn't wander too far, I would think that would be just enough ID to tell a farmer who the stray belonged to. When I was a kid milking cows in the 60's and 70's our cows wore more modern brass tags with numbers recessed into the tag, and painted black. But the tear drop or pear shape would be consistant and the hole for the chain would of been right about where your IH is, and about that size too. Just a guess.

 

[MR_SG]

Generally a slave tag would have had the slave's name, the port and year in which they were brought into the country and a number. I believe they were usually made out of copper