A strange meta tag: META name="verify-v1"

what does this mean?

[Lorel]

Can someone explain what this meta tag does?

<META name="verify-v1" content="/JBoXnwT1d7TbbWCwL8tXe+Ts2I2LXYrdnnK50g7kdY=" />

This was placed on a new client's site by their previous "SEO" person.

[anax]

That's one of the verification elements used by Google Sitemaps. When you sign up for Sitemaps you have to add that element to a root page to demonstrate to Google that you're the site owner. So there is probably a Sitemaps account for the site, if you haven't found it already.

[Lorel]

Thanks much!

[Jim Catanich]

But it should be on the home page only.

[glenng]

Found the same thing within meta tags - how will this affect a site, when it appears on interior pages in addition to the homepage?

[g1smd]

No effect, I would expect.