Identification Discs of Union Soldiers in the Civil War: A Complete Classification Guide and Illustrated History

As an iconic symbol of the American GI, the dog tag has gained considerable cultural recognition. This book returns to the origins of the dog tag with an in-depth look at all 49 styles of Civil War era Union identification discs, including detailed photographs and histories for individual discs as well as a general history of the origin and production of identification discs. This work also provides a general guide to the authentication of identification discs for use by collectors.

Attorney and civil war lecturer Larry B. Maier lives in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. Joseph W. Stahl is a retired researcher for the Institute for Defense Analyses. His articles have appeared in the Gettysburg Magazine, Civil War Historian and other publications. He lives in Keedysville, Maryland.