Here is one of my Jackson, MI store cards from the William Jackson grocery store.
This is a case of buying a “ Details” coin when there is no other option, this piece is listed as a Rarity 10 (unique). The third edition of Fuld’s Store Card book lists 24 varieties for Jackson’s grocery business.
Mr. Jackson was a popular figure about town and served as Mayor prior to the Civil War. Here is a picture of his mayoral portrait.
Jackson’s grocery was located at 154 Main Street, now named W. Michigan Avenue. Today the site is occupied by the Jackson County Building. He advertised frequently in the local newspapers.
"A penny hit by lightning is worth six cents". Opie Taylor
@PennyGuy Excellent post and token!
So, is the town named after him or is it just a coincidence that he shares his name with the city?
Like Bill Jones' post about Marr, it is great to have a face to go with a person's name. Adds so much to the token when you know the history behind it. Really makes it come alive!
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
@DCW
The City of Jackson was founded in 1829 and named Jacksonburg, in honor of President Jackson.later changed to Jackson. This was before William Jackson arrived. Mr. Jackson was born, raised, and educated in New York State then moved to Leoni Michigan ( Just east of Jackson).
"A penny hit by lightning is worth six cents". Opie Taylor
I'm assuming you know this, but for someone reading this with only a casual interest in these tokens it is worth noting that the die sinker of this token is Robert Lovett, identified on your piece by the initials "R.L."
Lovett used the French Liberty motif on the enigmatic Confederate Cent as well:
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
@DCW said:
Lovett used the French Liberty motif on the enigmatic Confederate Cent as well
Interesting that he didn't put his initials on that one!
When he was helping the CSA with their coinage, he was concerned that he may be charge with treason so he decided it was best to not sign his work.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
The above token is perhaps the pinnacle of Merriam's craft. His depiction of Apollo for the restaurant of the same name is outstanding. The copper numismatic striking that Brian posted is many times rarer than the white metal versions that were struck for commerce.
Here is one that I found that is gilt and the only one I've seen:
The below is a crude attempt by Merriam to strike a token for this firm out of what I believe are stencil scraps from his shop. Again, very rare with 2 or 3 known. MA-115Cc-1b Brass Apollo Garden Boston, MA PCGS XF45, ex. Ford:
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Good morning all, trying to keep this thread alive. Here is my example of the M.L. Marshall token that has already been posted to this thread by 2 other members: 1863 NY-695A-2a M.L. Marshall. Oswego, NY PCGS MS66BN ex. Rossa, Q.David Bowers
A rather common token that enjoys widespread popularity with collectors. This is due to the pictorial of the fish on the reverse die, along with the odd combination of advertised wares...toys, fancy goods, fishing tackle, and rare coins!
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
This token is another of my mini-obsessions. There is a die pairing for this design (212/416) with an undated obverse and a wildly repunched reverse. In early die states the repunching is barely visible, but as the die was work-hardened from striking tokens, it became more and more pronounced. By the time the dies were spent, there were all manner of cracks and chips on both sides and the repunching was magnificent. I will try to add photos of various die states to this thread in the next couple of days.
One of the great things about collecting CWTs is the mini concentrations you can pursue, whether it's every town in a state or a certain manufacturer or design themes. I am drawn to the die pair above, Indiana Primitives, and of course the Butcher of Vine St.
Sean Reynolds
Incomplete planchets wanted, especially Lincoln Cents & type coins.
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
Henry D. Higgins made the Indiana primitive Civil War tokens. He had two ways of making the dies. The first was to engrave all of the design elements himself. The results were a riot of horns, flowers, flourishes and irregularly spaced lettering that many collectors find very appealing. I have a collection of his Patriotic tokens which is missing one die variety. (I don’t collect the die combinations or “muleings,” just impressions from each die.) The one variety I don’t have is only known by three examples (When I was collecting them.) in very low grade, Fair to AG. I just couldn’t bring myself to spend $2 to $3 thousand for something like that.
Higgins also made dies by producing copies from Civil War tokens that he had. The method seems to have been to soften the die face and use the token to impress the image on it. The result was a copy of the original which lacked some of the detail, especially around the rim.
Here is Higgin’s Monitor token. His token, which has been assigned Patriotic Fuld # 238, was made from Fuld # 237 which was made by the Scoville Company of Connecticut.
Here is the “mother” or source token, Fuld # 237.
And here is the Higgins copy, Fuld #238. Note the Higgins added his own irregularly shaped dentiles around the edge of the design.
Higgins paired this obverse with more than one reverse. This is one of Higgin's "home made" Indiana primative varieties. listed as Fuld # 405.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
Two collectors have posted the most popular M.L. Marshell token with the fish and the "rare coin" ad on it, but here the scarcer one. This piece is 29 mm in diameter, it is listed as an R-5.
For reasons unknown to me, this piece does not seem to be very popular. When I had one as a dealer, it took a long time to sell it while the "rare coin" one "flew off the shelves." The claim is that Marshell issued a token like this before the war, and he did, BUT this is dated "1862" which makes it a Civil War token. In fact it is an overdate with the "0" visible under the "2."
Marshell greater interest was in fishing, not coins. If you had gone into his store, you probably would have noted that most of the space was devoted to fishing tackle not coins. He died in 1883.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
@BillJones said:
Two collectors have posted the most popular M.L. Marshell token with the fish and the "rare coin" ad on it, but here the scarcer one. This piece is 29 mm in diameter, it is listed as an R-5.
For reasons unknown to me, this piece does not seem to be very popular. When I had one as a dealer, it took a long time to sell it while the "rare coin" one "flew off the shelves." The claim is that Marshell issued a token like this before the war, and he did, BUT this is dated "1862" which makes it a Civil War token. In fact it is an overdate with the "0" visible under the "2."
Here is the ML Marshall 1860 Merchant card for comparison:
You'll note that a tree was added in the field to the 1862 version, along with a pair of stars on either side of Oswego, NY.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Here are some counterstamped M.L. Marshall coins to round out the display.
I wish these babies were mine, but alas I only found them in auction archives.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
I really like the Higgins primitives. Bill Jones appears to have the nicest one I have seen; my example looks like something peeled off the sole of my shoe.
@kaz said:
I really like the Higgins primitives. Bill Jones appears to have the nicest one I have seen; my example looks like something peeled off the sole of my shoe.
Given the grades of many Indiana primitives (VF), these pieces circulated in northern Indiana for some years after the war. I acquired a couple of Mint State pieces from the late Steve Tannenbaum. I”ll post them in the next couple days.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
1863 Gustavus Lindenmueller Double Header NY-630AQ-8a PCGS MS64BN ex. Bowers 1863 Gustavus Lindenmueller Double Beer mugs, NY-630AQ-7a PCGS MS64BN ex. Bowers
Here are a couple of very rare mulings of the famous Lindenmueller tokens of New York.
Two different obverse dies bearing his likeness were muled together along with a pair of unlike reverse dies to form this special duo. I've personally never seen another.
Lindenmueller was an interesting character. He was arrested for violating the "blue laws" of the day that closed establishments serving liquor on Sundays. The Germans drink beer for breakfast, so the writing was basically on the wall.
He is remembered best for these quarter sized tokens which were issued to the tune of a million or so pieces during the War of Rebellion. Legend has it, though no definitive proof exists, that the railroad tried to redeem a large quantity that they had accepted as payment of services and he laughed all the way to the bank. This led to the government banning the use of private "money" in 1864.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
The power of commerce was such a strong force as evident in the ingenuity of all who made their own money during trying times. This thread is awesome! Peace Roy
I am a little late, but here are a couple of Mint State Indiana Primatives . These came from the Cindy Wibker collection when she was selling her impressive group via Steve Tannenbaum.
Here is die combination 175/403a
Here is the "mother die" for #175, which is #174.
And here is a Brown Unc. 221/400a.
Here is the "mother die" for #211, which is #210
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
Henry Higgins copied the "Capital die" #233. Here is a Mint State example.
Appearantly Higgins was not happy with his copy, or at least he thought that people might not recognize the building because he lost so much detail. That led him to add the word "CAPITAL" along the bottom of the building.
Here is the "capital die" compared with Higgins' "Value me as you pleas" die. People have speculated that Higgins had one of Samuel Higley's coppers and copied the phrase from it.
Here is one of the store card tokens that Higgins made with the "capital" on the obverse. The variety number is IN 915 A-2a.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
Recent purchase from @DCW A very interesting trial strike on an oval planchet. Unique. PCGS MS-62 BN. From the George Fuld, Richard Rossa, and Q. David Bowers collections!
Here is an uncirculated set of Sutler tokens from the 23rd Massachusetts Regiment: MA-23-5C Copper. 19 mm. NGC MS-64 BN ex. Ford MA-23-10C Copper. 19 mm. NGC MS-66 RB ex. Ford MA-23-25C Copper. 19 mm. NGC MS-66 RB ex. Ford MA-23-50C Copper. 19 mm. NGC MS-65 RB ex. Ford
For those unfamiliar, a sutler was a vendor that followed the regiment in his wagon, providing goods and comforts to the soldiers of the regiment at a price. They were basically the forerunner of the post exchanges that exist to this day.
These particular pieces were struck by Joseph H. Merriam of Boston for Harvey Lewis, the regimental sutler. Interestingly, they are perhaps the first use of a modular die, thought to be Merriam's own creation. As you will note, the reverse die had a circular section that could be interchanged with various denominations (5c, 10c, 25c, 50c)
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
1860 M.L. Marshall, Oswego, New York, 1860. Miller NY-1007, Silver, 27.2 mm diameter, ex: Henry South collection.
Based on information obtained by A. R. Frey in the
March 1904 issue of The Numismatist in an interview with Morgan L. Marshall’s son
Dyer M. Marshall only 25 were issued in silver, with a survival of only 1-2 examples today.
I have been able to track 5 examples including this one. Typical weakness in the center. Maybe
they struck it after all the copper was struck.........maybe he said....hmmm, let do it in silver :-)
.
.
.
This piece is listed in the Fuld Civil War Token book as a Chicago, Illinois item with the variety number IL 150-AS-1a. The obverse reads, "Bank drafts for 1 £ and upwards on the Royal Bank of Ireland, 1861." The reverse reads, "Passage Certificates from Liverpool to Chicago, No 6 Clark Street." Researchers have attributed this token to George Whitney although his name does not appear on the piece. The passage certificate business may have been a separate entity from Whitney's bank draft company.
This token represents a large slice of the story of the Irish immigration to America. Life was never easy for the Irish in "the old country," but it got markedly worse in the 1840s when a potato famine left perhaps a million Irishmen to starve. Irish citizens scraped together whatever money they could to book passage, quite often to The United States and Canada. Between 1846 and 1855, 1.5 million Irishmen made the trip to The United States. Once they reached the U.S., they faced discrimination, but even with that, their prospects were much brighter in America than they had been in Erin
Once they reached the U.S. these immigrants worked and saved has much money as they could spare to send funds to their family and relatives who were still in Ireland. It was said that even Irish criminals felt an obligation to send money back home. Despite the fact that these drafts were for as little as £1, and were almost never larger than £10, almost 1 million pounds sterling arrived at the Liverpool banking houses alone from the mid 1840s to mid 1850s. The family and relatives who received these funds used some money for living expenses, but in many cases they saved those few pounds until they could book passage to America to be re-united with their loved ones. Therefore this little, cent sized token, which somewhat scarce and rated as a Rarity-5 (estimated 75 to 200 known), has an interesting story to tell.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
One of tricks that people used to get these tokens accepted was make them look like Indian cents. One the reverse, there is only variety that is a near exact copy of the U.S. government cent. Maybe this guy got away with it because he put General McClellan on the obverse. He is "charging you 'one cent'" for this "medal."
Here's another. Notice that it says "OUR CENT" on the reverse instead of "ONE CENT."
This is patritotic die combination 104/263a. I have never seen a nice example of this token. I imagine that Bowers may have had one, but I have never seen it.
Here's one that used the "NOT ONE CENT" dodge.
This token is larger than average and has a reproduction of the Indian Cent on the reverse. It took me a while to find a nice example of this.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
Comments
Sunshine Rare Coins
sunshinecoins.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Here is one of my Jackson, MI store cards from the William Jackson grocery store.
This is a case of buying a “ Details” coin when there is no other option, this piece is listed as a Rarity 10 (unique). The third edition of Fuld’s Store Card book lists 24 varieties for Jackson’s grocery business.
Mr. Jackson was a popular figure about town and served as Mayor prior to the Civil War. Here is a picture of his mayoral portrait.
Jackson’s grocery was located at 154 Main Street, now named W. Michigan Avenue. Today the site is occupied by the Jackson County Building. He advertised frequently in the local newspapers.
"A penny hit by lightning is worth six cents". Opie Taylor
@PennyGuy Excellent post and token!
So, is the town named after him or is it just a coincidence that he shares his name with the city?
Like Bill Jones' post about Marr, it is great to have a face to go with a person's name. Adds so much to the token when you know the history behind it. Really makes it come alive!
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
@DCW
The City of Jackson was founded in 1829 and named Jacksonburg, in honor of President Jackson.later changed to Jackson. This was before William Jackson arrived. Mr. Jackson was born, raised, and educated in New York State then moved to Leoni Michigan ( Just east of Jackson).
"A penny hit by lightning is worth six cents". Opie Taylor
My favorite thus far, also double struck.
.
CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
.
Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
.
More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
Now those two are opposite opinions of the times!!
WS
I like tokens. ... I just never collected them.
Sunshine Rare Coins
sunshinecoins.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
clipped planchet, axial lighting.
Proceed with caution ⚠️
Collecting exonumia is a slippery slope!
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
A unique two state mule. One side has a merchant from Illinois while the other is from Missouri.
ANA-LM, CWTS-LM, NBS, TAMS, ANS
At PCGS getting graded...
@WaterSport
I'm assuming you know this, but for someone reading this with only a casual interest in these tokens it is worth noting that the die sinker of this token is Robert Lovett, identified on your piece by the initials "R.L."
Lovett used the French Liberty motif on the enigmatic Confederate Cent as well:
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Interesting that he didn't put his initials on that one!
Plausible deniability?
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
When he was helping the CSA with their coinage, he was concerned that he may be charge with treason so he decided it was best to not sign his work.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Not like John Hancock then
A group of some of my favorite slabbed Civil War Tokens for the mega thread!
Thanks for looking! I have some raw ones that need imaging I'll try to post soon.
The above token is perhaps the pinnacle of Merriam's craft. His depiction of Apollo for the restaurant of the same name is outstanding. The copper numismatic striking that Brian posted is many times rarer than the white metal versions that were struck for commerce.
Here is one that I found that is gilt and the only one I've seen:
The below is a crude attempt by Merriam to strike a token for this firm out of what I believe are stencil scraps from his shop. Again, very rare with 2 or 3 known.
MA-115Cc-1b Brass Apollo Garden Boston, MA PCGS XF45, ex. Ford:
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Good morning all, trying to keep this thread alive. Here is my example of the M.L. Marshall token that has already been posted to this thread by 2 other members:
1863 NY-695A-2a M.L. Marshall. Oswego, NY PCGS MS66BN ex. Rossa, Q.David Bowers
A rather common token that enjoys widespread popularity with collectors. This is due to the pictorial of the fish on the reverse die, along with the odd combination of advertised wares...toys, fancy goods, fishing tackle, and rare coins!
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Lets keep this thread going!
ANA-LM, CWTS-LM, NBS, TAMS, ANS
This token is another of my mini-obsessions. There is a die pairing for this design (212/416) with an undated obverse and a wildly repunched reverse. In early die states the repunching is barely visible, but as the die was work-hardened from striking tokens, it became more and more pronounced. By the time the dies were spent, there were all manner of cracks and chips on both sides and the repunching was magnificent. I will try to add photos of various die states to this thread in the next couple of days.
One of the great things about collecting CWTs is the mini concentrations you can pursue, whether it's every town in a state or a certain manufacturer or design themes. I am drawn to the die pair above, Indiana Primitives, and of course the Butcher of Vine St.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
Henry D. Higgins made the Indiana primitive Civil War tokens. He had two ways of making the dies. The first was to engrave all of the design elements himself. The results were a riot of horns, flowers, flourishes and irregularly spaced lettering that many collectors find very appealing. I have a collection of his Patriotic tokens which is missing one die variety. (I don’t collect the die combinations or “muleings,” just impressions from each die.) The one variety I don’t have is only known by three examples (When I was collecting them.) in very low grade, Fair to AG. I just couldn’t bring myself to spend $2 to $3 thousand for something like that.
Higgins also made dies by producing copies from Civil War tokens that he had. The method seems to have been to soften the die face and use the token to impress the image on it. The result was a copy of the original which lacked some of the detail, especially around the rim.
Here is Higgin’s Monitor token. His token, which has been assigned Patriotic Fuld # 238, was made from Fuld # 237 which was made by the Scoville Company of Connecticut.
Here is the “mother” or source token, Fuld # 237.
And here is the Higgins copy, Fuld #238. Note the Higgins added his own irregularly shaped dentiles around the edge of the design.
Higgins paired this obverse with more than one reverse. This is one of Higgin's "home made" Indiana primative varieties. listed as Fuld # 405.
Two collectors have posted the most popular M.L. Marshell token with the fish and the "rare coin" ad on it, but here the scarcer one. This piece is 29 mm in diameter, it is listed as an R-5.
For reasons unknown to me, this piece does not seem to be very popular. When I had one as a dealer, it took a long time to sell it while the "rare coin" one "flew off the shelves." The claim is that Marshell issued a token like this before the war, and he did, BUT this is dated "1862" which makes it a Civil War token. In fact it is an overdate with the "0" visible under the "2."
Marshell greater interest was in fishing, not coins. If you had gone into his store, you probably would have noted that most of the space was devoted to fishing tackle not coins. He died in 1883.
Here is the ML Marshall 1860 Merchant card for comparison:
You'll note that a tree was added in the field to the 1862 version, along with a pair of stars on either side of Oswego, NY.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Here are some counterstamped M.L. Marshall coins to round out the display.
I wish these babies were mine, but alas I only found them in auction archives.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
I really like the Higgins primitives. Bill Jones appears to have the nicest one I have seen; my example looks like something peeled off the sole of my shoe.
Given the grades of many Indiana primitives (VF), these pieces circulated in northern Indiana for some years after the war. I acquired a couple of Mint State pieces from the late Steve Tannenbaum. I”ll post them in the next couple days.
1863 Gustavus Lindenmueller Double Header NY-630AQ-8a PCGS MS64BN ex. Bowers
1863 Gustavus Lindenmueller Double Beer mugs, NY-630AQ-7a PCGS MS64BN ex. Bowers
Here are a couple of very rare mulings of the famous Lindenmueller tokens of New York.
Two different obverse dies bearing his likeness were muled together along with a pair of unlike reverse dies to form this special duo. I've personally never seen another.
Lindenmueller was an interesting character. He was arrested for violating the "blue laws" of the day that closed establishments serving liquor on Sundays. The Germans drink beer for breakfast, so the writing was basically on the wall.
He is remembered best for these quarter sized tokens which were issued to the tune of a million or so pieces during the War of Rebellion. Legend has it, though no definitive proof exists, that the railroad tried to redeem a large quantity that they had accepted as payment of services and he laughed all the way to the bank. This led to the government banning the use of private "money" in 1864.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Back in the day oops was said a lot
The power of commerce was such a strong force as evident in the ingenuity of all who made their own money during trying times. This thread is awesome! Peace Roy
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I am a little late, but here are a couple of Mint State Indiana Primatives . These came from the Cindy Wibker collection when she was selling her impressive group via Steve Tannenbaum.
Here is die combination 175/403a
Here is the "mother die" for #175, which is #174.
And here is a Brown Unc. 221/400a.
Here is the "mother die" for #211, which is #210
Henry Higgins copied the "Capital die" #233. Here is a Mint State example.
Appearantly Higgins was not happy with his copy, or at least he thought that people might not recognize the building because he lost so much detail. That led him to add the word "CAPITAL" along the bottom of the building.
Here is the "capital die" compared with Higgins' "Value me as you pleas" die. People have speculated that Higgins had one of Samuel Higley's coppers and copied the phrase from it.
Here is one of the store card tokens that Higgins made with the "capital" on the obverse. The variety number is IN 915 A-2a.
1863 patriotic token (F-26/418 do) struck over an 1863 Indian Head cent. Ex: Tanenbaum, Bowers
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
In the mail today for my friends collection. Another nice example for the lovely Magnolia Hotel !
Recent purchase from @DCW A very interesting trial strike on an oval planchet. Unique. PCGS MS-62 BN. From the George Fuld, Richard Rossa, and Q. David Bowers collections!
ANA-LM, CWTS-LM, NBS, TAMS, ANS
Here is an uncirculated set of Sutler tokens from the 23rd Massachusetts Regiment:
MA-23-5C Copper. 19 mm. NGC MS-64 BN ex. Ford
MA-23-10C Copper. 19 mm. NGC MS-66 RB ex. Ford
MA-23-25C Copper. 19 mm. NGC MS-66 RB ex. Ford
MA-23-50C Copper. 19 mm. NGC MS-65 RB ex. Ford
For those unfamiliar, a sutler was a vendor that followed the regiment in his wagon, providing goods and comforts to the soldiers of the regiment at a price. They were basically the forerunner of the post exchanges that exist to this day.
These particular pieces were struck by Joseph H. Merriam of Boston for Harvey Lewis, the regimental sutler. Interestingly, they are perhaps the first use of a modular die, thought to be Merriam's own creation. As you will note, the reverse die had a circular section that could be interchanged with various denominations (5c, 10c, 25c, 50c)
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Another favorite Monitor token from my set.
1860 M.L. Marshall, Oswego, New York, 1860. Miller NY-1007, Silver, 27.2 mm diameter, ex: Henry South collection.
Based on information obtained by A. R. Frey in the
March 1904 issue of The Numismatist in an interview with Morgan L. Marshall’s son
Dyer M. Marshall only 25 were issued in silver, with a survival of only 1-2 examples today.
I have been able to track 5 examples including this one. Typical weakness in the center. Maybe
they struck it after all the copper was struck.........maybe he said....hmmm, let do it in silver :-)
.
.
.
.
CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
.
Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
.
More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
Nothing high grade, but some interesting ones I've picked up over the years.
Fuld variety IL 150 AS-1a
Bank Drafts to Ireland
This piece is listed in the Fuld Civil War Token book as a Chicago, Illinois item with the variety number IL 150-AS-1a. The obverse reads, "Bank drafts for 1 £ and upwards on the Royal Bank of Ireland, 1861." The reverse reads, "Passage Certificates from Liverpool to Chicago, No 6 Clark Street." Researchers have attributed this token to George Whitney although his name does not appear on the piece. The passage certificate business may have been a separate entity from Whitney's bank draft company.
This token represents a large slice of the story of the Irish immigration to America. Life was never easy for the Irish in "the old country," but it got markedly worse in the 1840s when a potato famine left perhaps a million Irishmen to starve. Irish citizens scraped together whatever money they could to book passage, quite often to The United States and Canada. Between 1846 and 1855, 1.5 million Irishmen made the trip to The United States. Once they reached the U.S., they faced discrimination, but even with that, their prospects were much brighter in America than they had been in Erin
Once they reached the U.S. these immigrants worked and saved has much money as they could spare to send funds to their family and relatives who were still in Ireland. It was said that even Irish criminals felt an obligation to send money back home. Despite the fact that these drafts were for as little as £1, and were almost never larger than £10, almost 1 million pounds sterling arrived at the Liverpool banking houses alone from the mid 1840s to mid 1850s. The family and relatives who received these funds used some money for living expenses, but in many cases they saved those few pounds until they could book passage to America to be re-united with their loved ones. Therefore this little, cent sized token, which somewhat scarce and rated as a Rarity-5 (estimated 75 to 200 known), has an interesting story to tell.
@BillJones
Always a good read. Thanks for contributing! This is one I have not come across.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
@BillJones
Thanks for the post! I recently purchased an example of the 2a variety so I found it very interesting. Great history!
ANA-LM, CWTS-LM, NBS, TAMS, ANS
F-239/421a "Our Little Monitor" PCGS MS65RB ex. Q. David Bowers
PCGS says copper, but it looks brass to me.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
One of tricks that people used to get these tokens accepted was make them look like Indian cents. One the reverse, there is only variety that is a near exact copy of the U.S. government cent. Maybe this guy got away with it because he put General McClellan on the obverse. He is "charging you 'one cent'" for this "medal."
Here's another. Notice that it says "OUR CENT" on the reverse instead of "ONE CENT."
This is patritotic die combination 104/263a. I have never seen a nice example of this token. I imagine that Bowers may have had one, but I have never seen it.
Here's one that used the "NOT ONE CENT" dodge.
This token is larger than average and has a reproduction of the Indian Cent on the reverse. It took me a while to find a nice example of this.
No date on this coin but definitely a CWT
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Appears to be Fuld-164/312a, for your reference.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Thanks, I don't think it too rare either. The last time I looked it up I think it was an R1.
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