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Tattooed Skin - D

Our first specimen is a portion of skin with ‘D’ tattooed on it, taken from underneath the left armpit of a soldier. The letter ‘D’ stood for ‘Deserter’ and was a permanent mark to show the individual had tried to leave the Army or Navy illegally. Soldiers could also be tattooed with the letters 'BC' which stood for 'Bad Character'. Civilians could be tattooed with a number of different letters including: 'D' for ‘Drunkard'; 'V' for ‘Vagabond’, someone who slept rough and had no job; and 'F' for 'Fray Maker', someone who was constantly causing fights. Branding using hot irons was used until 1717, after which tattooing was introduced. Body marking as a punishment was banned in Britain in 1871, both in the military and civilian courts.

Tattooed Skin - D
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