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Identification button used by Thomas Porter II

Unidentifiedca. 1820

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Washington, D.C., United States

A round copper-alloy button with the initials "T*P" on the front. This button would have been sewn onto an enslaved person's shirt to identify him or her as belonging to Thomas Porter II. There is an inscription on the reverse of the button in two concentric circles that reads, "FINE ORANGE STANDARD GILT." There is a considerable amount of verdigris on both sides of the button.

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  • Title: Identification button used by Thomas Porter II
  • Creator: Unidentified
  • Date Created: ca. 1820
  • Physical Dimensions: Diameter: 3/4 in. (1.9 cm), 2.7Grams
  • Subject Keywords: Middle Passage
  • Medium: copper alloy
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

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