This is only the second West Virginia I.D. tag that we have had in the past 20 years and, wouldn’t you know, it’s from the Cav. Regiment that was under Custer at the end of the war. What makes this tag really special is that it was excavated by the most beloved digger of all times, Stan Philips. Stan showed me this tag over 30 years ago, as we were talking about the untapped digging possibilities in West Virginia. This tag was excavated in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The style is the thick pewter McClellan head, approximately 1 and 1/8 inches across and 1/8 inch thick. Pewter does not hold up well in bad soil, but this tag has an excellent stamping and is easily read. The obverse has a bust of McClellan and “Liberty.” The reverse is stamped, “D. B. Trowbridge Co. E, 3rd VA. Cav. Preston Co. VA.”
#E31
