Civil War Soldier ID Discs
The war issued no dog tags. The identification a soldier carried, he bought himself — which is exactly why these small discs are so personal, so collectible, and so often faked.
Quick Identification
- What it is
- A privately purchased identification disc or pin — not a government-issued tag.
- Form
- Small brass or lead disc, or an engraved pin/brooch; often stamped with a name and unit.
- Typical face
- Soldier's name, company, regiment; sometimes a battle list, an eagle, or a patriotic motto.
- Key test
- The named soldier should be verifiable in the records of the unit stamped on the disc.
Understand What They Are
There was no official identification tag in the Civil War. A soldier who wanted to be identified if he fell bought his own — an identification disc or engraved pin sold by sutlers and traveling vendors. Many were struck with a stock patriotic design on one side (an eagle, a portrait of a general, a slogan such as "War of 1861") and hand-stamped on the other with the soldier's name, company, and regiment, sometimes with a list of battles he'd survived.
That personal, named quality is the whole appeal — and the whole risk. A disc is only as good as the soldier it names.
Research the Name First
Before anything else, research the named soldier. A genuine disc names a real man who appears in the service and pension records of the exact unit stamped on it. If the name, company, and regiment can't be reconciled with the records — or the unit didn't exist as stamped — the piece fails the most important test there is, no matter how convincing the metal looks.
The vendor design matters too. Period discs match documented sutler and maker patterns; a "disc" with a design that fits no known vendor is a warning sign.
Real vs. Restrike & Fake — The Tells
ID discs are among the easiest relics to fake convincingly, because a blank period-style disc can simply be stamped with any desirable name. Guard against it:
Never buy a named disc on the strength of the metal alone. Send us the disc and the name and research it first.
What Drives the Value
- A verifiable, researched soldier — documentation is everything here.
- Unit and history — a hard-fought regiment or a compelling battle list adds interest.
- Design and condition — an attractive, legible, undamaged disc.
- Provenance — a chain of ownership back to the soldier or family is the gold standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Were ID discs government issue?
No. They were bought privately from sutlers and vendors. The absence of any official tag is exactly why soldiers purchased their own.
The name is worn — is it still valuable?
Legibility matters, because value hinges on identifying and verifying the soldier. A partly legible disc can still be researched, but an unreadable name is hard to authenticate.
How do I research the soldier?
Match the name, company, and regiment to service and pension records for that unit. If you send us the disc, we can help point you to the right records.