4293 LARGE GROUP OF "SLAVE BUTTONS", CIRCA 1800.

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[?]Live Online Auction Starts In 2025 Nov 02 @ 10:00 (UTC-04:00 : AST/EDT)
Category Firearms & Military
Auction Currency USD
Start Price 1,500.00 USD
Estimated at 3,000.00 - 6,000.00 USD
About 125 buttons excavated in coastal Georgia plantation sites. Several variants of brass & pewter, all marked for Thomas H. Porter, slave trader from Barbados. Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture has small collection and notes history: "Thomas Porter was a successful businessman and slave dealer. He was meticulous in his business dealings—the enslaved men and women that he held in captivity were forced to wear buttons bearing his name. By identifying his property, Porter placed his wealth and status on display, which was a draw for business." This is most likely largest collection ever accumulated. CONDITION: poor to good, missing shanks, chipped and corroded. (02-25498/JS). NON-GUN. $3,000-6,000.