GPS - Tag Marker
on Utility Pole
It is said that some tag markers on telephone poles provide such information as coordinates in an X and Y fashion - X increases as one travels East, and Y increases as one travels North (in other words... a poor man's GPS).
Most utility poles are marked by branding, but before the practice of branding, many utilities would set a 2- to 4-digit date nail into the pole upon installation. The use of date nails went out of favor during WWII due to war shortages, but is still used by a few utilities. These nails are considered valuable to collectors, with older dates being more valuable, and unique markings such as the utilities' name also increasing the value. However, regardless of the value to collectors, all attachments on a utility pole are the property of the utility company, and unauthorized removal is a felony.
