拍品描述： 1845 Charleston Slave Hire Badge. Porter, No. 171. Copper. 51.5 mm x 55.0 mm. Fine.Pierced at the top for suspension, as issued. Truncated diamond shape with clipped corners, a typical design for the era, retaining its natural obverse convexity. Rusty dark brown surfaces are about par for the type, although we do note some moderate verdigris scattered about on both sides, primarily the front. CHARLESTON clear and arcing within a cartouche above, the digits 184 in the date below clear, the 5 faint, yet discernible. Below the date is the profession PORTER, which is clear despite the fact that both letter Rs are a bit faint. The badge number 171 at the bottom is boldly impressed and clear. There are no significant edge problems, the surfaces also free of damage.<p>According to Harlan Greene, Harry S. Hutchins, Jr. and Brian E. Hutchins (S<em>lave Badges and the Slave-Hire System in Charleston, South Carolina, 1783-1865</em>, 2004), Charleston issued more than 3,800 badges in 1844 to 1845 bearing the 1845 date. All were made by W.M. Rouse, a prolific manufacturer of slave hire badges during the era. Porters are considered the second most common occupation on Charleston slave hire badges, used by those who worked the citys active docks as stevedores primarily. The present example is the first porter badge that we have offered since 2010, and it far finer than the 1840-dated piece that appeared as lot 438 in our (Stacks) Eliasberg & Krause Collections sale.