Collecting Antique Dog Tags

Collecting antique dog tags is quickly becoming a popular pastime for people all over the world.

Much like the dogs that wore them, collectors hold the tags dear as tokens of the friendship the dog supplied in its life.

Unlike the well-known soldier’s dog tags, the antique tags also feature intricate workmanship with fleur de lis, crosses and other ornamentation.

The first known issue of a dog license was 1446 in Utrecht, Holland. The oldest licenses still around were issued in Germany in 1775.

In the United States, possibly the best known dog-tag collector is Owney, a dog the Railway Mail Service adopted in 1888. As the dog traveled across the country in his custom-made harness and jacket, workers would attach tokens and dog licenses. In 1897, Owney died, but his body was preserved and is on display at the National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C. He is the unofficial mascot of the International Society of Animal License collecting.

While not as big as other types of collecting, acquiring antique dog tags has attracted a fiercely loyal following.

For questions about collecting antique dog tags and other precious items, visit the professional jewelers of Sarraf Jewelry.