Barnum Circus Token
mamieopa
Posts: 94 ✭✭✭
Here comes General Tom Tthumb and his Chariot of Barnum Circus. 1844 Tin Token in good shape, around 38 mm for 14.8 g. Issued in Great Britain by Allen & Moore.
3
Comments
Nice example! Here's ours...
1844 P.T. Barnum Token
American Numismatic Society, 0000.999.32054
http://numismatics.org/collection/0000.999.32054
Jesse C. Kraft, Ph.D.
Resolute Americana Curator of American Numismatics
American Numismatic Society
New York City
Member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), British Numismatic Society (BNS), New York Numismatic Club (NYNC), Early American Copper (EAC), the Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4), U.S. Mexican Numismatic Association (USMNA), Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC), Token and Medal Society (TAMS), and life member of the Atlantic County Numismatic Society (ACNS).
Become a member of the American Numismatic Society!
Very nice example too. All my photos are Macro Digital and that takes off the shine of the fields. In hand, my token still has full original shine on the chariot face, a little less on the other, perhaps due tu surface corrosion. Your specification says Aluminium, but in my opinion it seems to be tin.
Thank you for your comment
Yes, I saw the Aluminum composition in our database as well. I figured that it wasn't aluminum based on the weight, and the fact that aluminum was still quite rare in 1844 (and didn't become commercially available until 1889). I just changed it to tin, but it may take some time to reflect that online. I appears as if yours is in a later die state—lots of bulges on the obverse and die rust all over.
Check this piece out!!
Described as a brass counter struck in Britain for the United States.
American Numismatic Society, 0000.999.32062
Jesse C. Kraft, Ph.D.
Resolute Americana Curator of American Numismatics
American Numismatic Society
New York City
Member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), British Numismatic Society (BNS), New York Numismatic Club (NYNC), Early American Copper (EAC), the Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4), U.S. Mexican Numismatic Association (USMNA), Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC), Token and Medal Society (TAMS), and life member of the Atlantic County Numismatic Society (ACNS).
Become a member of the American Numismatic Society!
I know this "more American" token. It also exists with the bust of queen Victoria instead of the Liberty bust. The obverse remains unchanged.
Back to the mine, there are effectively 4 bulges on the obverse and they don't look being due to the material (like bulbes on zinc coins), perhaps defaults of the die. The reliefs appear matt on the shiny fields. If that was not intentional (I have some medals with such an effect), it might effectively be die rust. Anyway, it looks quite nice in spite of its age and the poor material.
I definitely am enjoying these Barnum tokens. The exhibit info on the token really seals the deal. Thanks for sharing. Peace Roy
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