The inscription on the paper in the photo was pretty clear. The question, though, was whether it was historically correct:
“Badge worn by Sahra Douglas, Born Sept. 19 – 1817 A Slave Dyed May 12 – 1881 A FREE bye Amasing Grace Amen.”
The badge consisted of a red, white and blue ribbon attached to an “Am I Not A Woman & A Sister” anti-slavery token, similar to two I had bought at auction in August. It belonged to a man named Al, an architect/construction manager who retired to Nevada seven years ago, who had read a blog post about my own tokens. He’s a history buff who also loves researching old items as much as I do.
I was instantly intrigued by Al’s token because it had provenance. If that back story could be verified, it would be an amazing piece of historical memorabilia – much better than the ones I have, which have no such pedigree. It would certainly be a worthy hunt to find out more about Sahra – whether she was real or invented by some unscrupulous person to sell the badge for a few more bucks.
Al has both the male and female versions of these 18th-century Conder tokens, made to serve as small change or to even promote a cause. His male token has an extra inscription around the edge indicating that it may be British – “Payable at Dublin Cork or Belfast.” The anti-slavery coin was first made in Britain – with an image of a male slave asking “Am I Not A Man and a Brother” – and based on a Josiah Wedgwood medallion that he designed in 1787 as a symbol for abolitionists in that country.
The female version was manufactured in this country around 1837 and 1838. Called “Hard Times” tokens, merchants used both tokens as one-cent change pieces during a period when money was tight. They were also manufactured by women’s groups to raise money for anti-slavery causes. They apparently were used for the same purposes outside this country, including Britain where they were made as pennies and half-pennies.
Al’s coin set also included a black and white photo of an African American woman standing in front of white-washed cabins, along with the inscription “Elizabeth City NC Aug.1915.” There was no indication of how she was connected to the tokens.
I asked Al to answer a few questions about the tokens and himself. Here are his answers:
How did you acquire the tokens? When did you get them?
I obtained the items complete at a bottle show about 1 1/2 years ago. Have no idea how they got here and can’t really find any reference.
What specifically does the inscription on them say?
They read Am I not a man … a woman … as with most. The male token has a punched phrase on the rim “Payable at Dublin Cork or Belfast.” This I found out makes the male token a little older than the female.
What have you found out about the tokens?
Nothing more than they are all genuine and apparently were part of the original group. It is hard to find anything about slavery items as there is little documentation. I do deduce from the information (assuming it is correct) the woman was born in 1817. That means that her parents were here in the late 1780’s and were perhaps slaves in the original 13 colonies. I tried to do research and think her origin was South Carolina. If you assume slaves took the surname of their masters you find a large number of Douglases in South Carolina. South Carolina was a part of the original 13 colonies.
The badge is handmade and it holds the token with a small brass type chain (significance?) around the token and then fastened to the ribbon’s stickpin.
Were you able to authenticate them?
The tokens are genuine. I found that most reproductions are very well worn to hide the fact they are reproductions.
Tell me a little about yourself: Are you a collector? If so, what do you collect and why? What do you do for a living?
I am a member of APIC (American Political Items Collectors). We are an organization that is dedicated to the preservation of political memorabilia. (According to the APIC website, it was formed in 1945 and has more than 2,000 members across the country. Its members are hobbyists who collect political memorabilia, from ribbons to autographs to china to matchbooks to sheet music.)
I know what slave tokens are and have seen them in the past. I am a retired architect/construction manager who has a passion for history. I love doing research on items I find.
Do you know how much the tokens are worth?
I think I see each of the individual tokens selling for $150 to $250. As a group I do not know what the value is but as purely a collectible, I feel worth more than I paid.
