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Message:: [QUOTE="BRandM, post: 1076284, member: 22729"]It's a Civil War Identification disc for sure (we coin and token collectors call them dog tags). I've researched these tags thoroughly while trying to verify that a counterstamped coin I have might have been used as a dog tag by a Vermont soldier. A lot of these were punched  by the regimental sutlers on prepared blanks that they carried with them. They could also be bought by mail order, but most were made in the field. The only reference I found in regard to these was a great book written by Larry B. Maier and Joseph W. Stahl titled "Identification Discs of Union Soldiers in The Civil War: A Complete Classification Guide and Illustrated History" written in 2008 and published by McFarland. You can probably get a copy on Amazon, but I'd try your local library first. I think they list about 600 discs that they examined personally. Be very careful though, there are many, many fakes and they're very difficult to authenticate. If it is genuine, it's worth a lot of money. Good Luck Bruce[/QUOTE]