1862 Civil War ID Tag Disc- B.F. Way 39th Iowa Infantry Made From Half Dollar For Sale

Civil War ID Disc Of
B.F. \"Frank\" Way, Co. H
39th Iowa Infantry
Engraved On Silver Half Dollar
Has Enlistment Date August 7, 1862 Here is a great Civil War collectible worthy of the finest collection. For your consideration we offer this original Civil War ID disc belonging to Pvt. Benjamin F. \"Frank\" Way, Company H, 39th Iowa Infantry. Dog Tags as we now know them did not yet exist, so it was up to the soldiers themselves to make such items for purposes of identifying them on the field should they be unfortunate enough to become a casualty. Made from a silver seated liberty half dollar of the period, this ID tag is very nicely engraved with \"Frank Way Co. H 39th Iowa Aug.7th,62\". August 7, 1862 is the date Way enlisted, so we surmise that either Way or perhaps a family member made this piece at that time. Below this information there is a nicely engraved depiction of an anvil, horseshoes, hammer and tongs, all symbols of the blacksmith and farrier trade. Perhaps young Mr. Way knew his way around an anvil and was good at shoeing horses, repairing/fashioning metal parts etc. This knowledge would no doubt be useful in both army and civilian life. The reverse side shows the reverse detail of the half dollar... both sides have some areas of minor pitting/granularity consistent with corrosion from exposure to the elements over time; we think the piece was perhaps dug long ago, cleaned, and has now begun to retone over the decades since. It looks just a bit darker in hand than in our images but as you can see, all engraving is very legible and the piece looks nice overall-see pics.

The 39th Iowa had several run-ins with famed Confederate cavalry general Nathan B. Forrest and his men, particularly at the end of 1862 when they engaged 6000-7000 of Forrest\'s cavalrymen at the battle of Parker\'s Crossroads. A few months later on May 6, 1863, Company H in particular was surrounded by some of Forrest\'s Confederate cavalry and mostly taken prisoners...Way was a member of Company H at that time so he was likely taken as a POW as well, though it isn\'t specifically mentioned in his personal record (not uncommon). It is also possible Way eluded capture or escaped. Cavalry units didn\'t like handling prisoners as they inhibited their mobility so it is also possible that Way and his comrades were simply disarmed and exchanged for rebel prisoners. Perhaps some research can shed light on this.

All in all, what an interesting, historical and highly collectible item! Let\'s generate some strong and serious offerding by offering it with and free shipping. Be sure to View Our Other sales for more quality collectibles, with new items being added regularly! TERMS OF SALE-PLEASE READ: We will email winning buyer with an invoice/payment instructions through so MAKE SURE YOUR REGISTERED EMAIL ADDRESS IS CORRECT AND YOUR SPAM FILTER IS SET TO ALLOW OUR EMAILS, otherwise it may delay shipment. Payment must be received in US funds within 10 days of sale\'s end. If the sale is advertised as FREE SHIPPING, then there is no cost to you for shipping or insurance; simply remit the winning offer amount only. Otherwise we will list the cost of shipping in the sale. We usually ship via either USPS Priority Mail or Registered Mail depending on value, and recommend insurance on all items. We charge only actual USPS cost with no handling charges. Shipping cost is not negotiable! IL residents add 8.5% Tax on all non-coin items. We accept PAYPAL. Item will ship immediately upon payment clearance. All winning buyers are expected to complete the sale in a timely manner. We reserve the right to cancel offers we feel are made in bad faith, or by those with negative, hidden or less than 10 response. You are responsible for knowing what you are offerding on, so PLEASE read the sale listing completely and ask all questions far enough in advance of sale\'s end so that we have adequate time to respond.

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