Copper Slave Hire Tag, ca. 1835, Charleston, South Carolina, the obverse engraved "City of Charleston, Fisherman, 1835", within a border, the reverse "no. 51", h. 1-7/8", w. 1-1/8"; together with a bronze slave token, 19th century, probably English or Continental, h. 2-1/4", w. 2-1/4". Provenance: By repute, salvaged from English schooner "Duoro", which sank off Isles of Sicily in 1843. The city of Charleston, like many Southern cities, permitted slave owners to rent out their slaves for a fee that was based on their skill sets. Charleston was unique, however, in that it made revenue through its registration mandate that required owners to purchase an annual bronze tag like the one offered here. This tag licensed the owner to hire out a slave as a fisherman for the year. The bracelet-shaped token, which accompanies this lot, was based on African currency, which would have been used to purchase slaves in Africa.

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