A small slave badge engraved with the year ‘1853’ that was discovered in Charleston, South Carolina earlier this year is one of Archaeology Magazine’s top 10 discoveries in 2021.
The square, copper item served as a permit, allowing the servant to work in the city and away from their owner who paid anywhere from $10 to $35 for the tag.
The badge made Archaeology Magazine’s list because Charleston was the only US location to provide the working permit, making the