id tags nursing (Dog Tags)
 

I am new to the site and looking for some help please. I collect dog tags from different military units, This came up on ebay and I thought I would have a punt at it. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133041035113 As I have never seen anything like it and don't have any South African tags in my collection I dont know if they are what they say they are.....thanks in advance.....paul.

Hello timeout, welcome to the Forum. Your account is active and open for posts.

I do not believe that they are identity discs. They have no names and are the wrong shape. I think that they are metal tags put on crates of manufactured goods and show either the order number, job number, lot number or even serial number, or some combination of the aforementioned.

I agree not ID tags (dog tags) but here is a Sth African ID TAG .

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/17389958...84.m1555.l2648

Cheers

Hi timeout
I think they literally might be 'dog tags'. Dogs used to have to be licensed so they could track them as rabies used to be a real risk and owners had tags for their dogs. These may be examples of those. I think I have a bunch somewhere but can't confirm 100% that is what they are.
Cheers,
Alex

Thanks guys, so I take it the South Africa followed the British type and system for WW1 and WW2. What do the modern ones look like? There are some countries that have only a number Czechoslovakia is one that comes to mind and they are so small....Well for £11 it will keep me amused for a while....paul

I am somewhat in agreement with Alex and High Wood on this. They are not like any military dog tag that I have ever seen. Metal tags have been used in the last 100 years in SA for dog licences, bicycle licences, hut tax, in fact anywhere one needed a robust proof of payment.
Regards
Mike

natal/Mike... No I dont think they are military, but now have to find out what they are. Do you think they are from South Africa? I know its off topic but is Hut Tax like taxing garden sheds? ....paul

Not exactly garden huts, but back in Colonial times, the government of the day would tax members of local tribes based on how many dwellings they owned. A bit like property rates today. A clear case of taxation without representation which usually caused unhappiness among the taxed. Sometimes this unhappiness took a violent form as with the Bambata Rebellion in Natal in 1906.
I've never seen this particular metal tag before, so probably not South African , but Colonial Africa was a big place and governments have always searched for new and inventive ways to extract money .
Regards
Mike