How to Collect Cattle Brands

Find out if the brand is or was registered. An unregistered brand is less likely to be a legitimate brand. Not all states require brands to be registered, however. In states that do not register brands, check with that state's cattlemen's or horsemen's association for information.

Study the history of cattle brands. Brands can be broken into five classes: Spanish mission brands, early Spanish brands (1500 to 1700), Spanish land grant brands (1700 to 1850), Texas-Anglo brands (1840 to 1880) and Old West/modern brands (1880 to present). Earlier brands featured more ruffles and flourishes, but were made with simpler irons, while modern brands are simpler and more practical and made with a single stamp iron.

Learn the history of the ranch that used the brand as well as the ranch owners. Often, brands were sold along with the ranch to new owners. County and state historical associations can often help with this, as can museums dedicated to the history of ranching, such as the Devil's Rope Museum in McLean, Texas.

Note the number of characters used to make the brand. Older brands might have only one or two characters in conjunction with symbols, while modern brands will have three, because of the greater number of possible combinations.

Verify the history of a brand through the county clerk's office in the state where the brand originated. While most states register brands at the state level (Texas does not), all counties should have a brand records book showing the brands registered within that county.