Rare ‘free badge’ worn by former slave acquired by Old Salem museum

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — Only 11 “free badges” worn by former slaves in Charleston, S.C. are known to exist, and the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts recently received one.

According to a news release from the museum, the die-stamped copper badge is small enough to fit in someone’s palm, but despite its size, the badge carries significant historical weight.

Charleston’s “slave hire badges” are well known, but for a brief period between 1783 and 1789, free Blacks were also required to register with the city and wear identifying badges on their clothing.

Hundreds of hire badges supposedly survive, but only 11 free badges are known.

The badge is engraved with a die-stamped design of Phrygian, or liberty cap. The word “FREE” sits front and center on the cap, while the border of the badge is decorated with “CITY OF CHARLESTON.” The badge is also engraved with “No. X.”

The owner of the badge may never be identified. MESDA says records of the Charleston free badge system have not been discovered and likely did not survive. Still, MESDA Curator Lea C. Lane finds solace in the fact that some items, and what they represent, did.

“What does survive is the craftsmanship of the many people of African descent who were required to register and visibly prove their status as a free people. For example, the work of individuals like the cabinetmaker John Gough, who produced furniture in Charleston during the period of the free badge system, endures as a testament to the skills of these craftsmen and women. The MESDA Craftsman Database includes 252 free Black craftspeople in Charleston, and the Black Craftspeople Digital Archive has identified even more. We are honored to be the steward of this badge, and the human experiences it represents,” she said.

According to Torren Gatson, BCDA co-founder and Old Salem Museums and Gardens board member, the badge could serve as a potential gateway to other undiscovered stories or artifacts owned by former slaves.

“The free badge encompasses the time frame when Charleston begins enacting oppressive laws to restrict the movement of African-Americans. Some argue that these laws are one of the first vignettes of surveillance on Black bodies in the United States. MESDA’s acquisition of this free badge offers tremendous opportunities to highlight more complex inclusive stories of the low country south,” he said.

The museum says badge will be available for visitors to view soon.

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