PARKER GUN Tobacco Tag

[George M. Purtill Member #28]

Very cool.
News to me.

[TOOL MAN]

Yes.....very cool indeed! Can you please elaborate on how they were utilized at retail? Were those brass tabs bent/affixed to a cigar or plug of tobacco like a wrapper?

PS---I don't feel so bad knowing that "Parrish" Purtill had no prior knowledge of these as well.

[Gunner]

Thanks for the remarks. Steve, only thing I know is what I've learned by Googling the subject. One photo showed a tobacco twist with the tag points wedged into the sides of the twist where they came together. I read that the tags were invented by the tobacco manufactures to prevent dishonest store owners from substituting a cheaper product into a bulk box labeled with the manufactures line of goods. Originally wood tags were inserted into bulk tobacco plugs that were then cut to retail size. Eventually metal tags were inserted with injurious results. I assume the tag points were pushed into plugs for identification purposes but that is just an assumption.
I'm sure someone will jump in with more knowledge than I have.
Erick