Arthur Bolles Bumstead - Victor, Colorado Grocer and Lesher Dollar Issuer

Zoins

Arthur Bolles Bumstead is a famous issuer of Lesher Dollars. I recently looked him up as his non-Lesher token came up for sale on eBay.

He lived in Colorado Springs and ran a grocery store in Cripple Creek's Victor, Colorado with the following address:

A. B. Bumstead
110 North Third St.
Victor, Colorado

The following photo and expert are from Chapter 7 of Forgotten Colorado Silver: Joseph Lesher’s Defiant Coins. The photo is from Arthur's son John Alden Bumstead.

Here's his first token, issued in 1900.

This recently sold on eBay for $520.00 on May 10, 2021:

mgreaves61 wrote:

Aluminum token with A. B. BUMSTEAD GROCER, VICTOR, COLO. on one side, and GOOD FOR ONE TEN CENT LOAF BREAD, A. B. BUMSTEAD on the other. This token is rated R10 (only one known) in "Colorado Merchants' Tokens" by Wright & Nott, who also note that this business was listed at 110 N. 4th in Victor in the 1900 Colorado Business Directory. It is also the same merchant who appears on one of the Lesher Dollars - see third photo (that is for reference only, NOT included in this auction). Measures approx. 26mm in diameter.

Has wear - please use photos to judge condition for yourself.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/384129578799

1900 A. B. Bumstead Bread Token - 10 Cents - Cliff Dvorak Specimen

Although the eBay auction says the token is unique (R10), TokenCatalog.com shows another:

TC-322069; Pritchard VI475

Found in Victor by Cliff Dvorak; 1900 - Grocery

http://tokencatalog.com/token_record_forms.php?action=DisplayTokenRecord&td_id=322069

Here's one of the Lesher Referendum So-Called Dollars from our hosts:

ricko

Thanks for the history and the pictures.... Though I am not a token collector, they played a big part in commerce at one time. Cheers, RickO

DCW

Awesome. I didnt know he issued storecards apart from the famous Lesher Dollars that bear his name. Very cool...did you pick up the example on eBay?

Namvet69

I've got a great ANA restrike that funded the house restoration. Peace Roy

Zoins

@DCW said:
Awesome. I didnt know he issued storecards apart from the famous Lesher Dollars that bear his name. Very cool...did you pick up the example on eBay?

It's a great token and I'm glad to have run across it. I didn't pick it up. I have a Lesher dollar but it's not that big of a focus of mine. I hope a Lesher Dollar specialist picked it up.

Calling @BillJones and @WDP

Bill's post here starts off with a Bumstead Lesher Dollar:

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/970737/a-lesher-referendum-dollar-amp-a-brief-history/p1

dcarr

I saw that token and I thought about bidding on it. But I ultimately decided that I needed to divert funds elsewhere.

Zoins

@dcarr said:
I saw that token and I thought about bidding on it. But I ultimately decided that I needed to divert funds elsewhere.

Glad you saw this and were also interested. I have a bunch of your Lesher Dollars! Are you planning on any more?

Zoins

It's pretty cool that Bumstead was a Mayflower descendent! I wonder if any of his descendants collect Lesher dollars?

HK-788; Z-2 has an obverse featuring a panoramic view of Pikes Peak and the Cripple Creek mining district, and the words “Pikes Peak Silver Mine” are struck into the top portion of the medal. Wording includes: “A Commodity Will Give In Exchange Merchandise at A.B. Bumstead.” By making his Referendum Dollars good for merchandise at a single place of business only (in this case, the grocery store run by Mayflower descendant Arthur Bolles Bumstead), Lesher turned them into legal tokens. German hand engraver Herman Otto, engraved the dies for all subsequent types and varieties including this type. As of January 2020, there are 103 recorded survivors.

https://www.ngccoin.com/coin-explorer/so-called-dollars-pscid-86/1900-lesher-hk-788;z-2-a.b.-bumstead-sc1-ms-coinid-851205

He's listed in the following book:

The Trowbridge family, or, Descendants of Thomas Trowbridge, one of the first settlers of New Haven, Conn

https://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/f-w-frederick-william-chapman/the-trowbridge-family-or-descendants-of-thomas-trowbridge-one-of-the-first-se-pah/page-27-the-trowbridge-family-or-descendants-of-thomas-trowbridge-one-of-the-first-se-pah.shtml

dcarr

@Zoins said:

@dcarr said:
I saw that token and I thought about bidding on it. But I ultimately decided that I needed to divert funds elsewhere.

Glad you saw this and were also interested. I have a bunch of your Lesher Dollars! Are you planning on any more?

Perhaps at some point. But no specific plans or designs at this time.

Zoins

This token is rated R10 (only one known) in "Colorado Merchants' Tokens" by Wright & Nott, who also note that this business was listed at 110 N. 4th in Victor in the 1900 Colorado Business Directory.

Here's 110 4th in Victor, Colorado from Google Maps:

tokenpro

Wright & Nott is dated - Pritchard is the current catalog of Colorado trade tokens. It notes only one Bumstead token reported but I know of a third piece in a collection as well. No matter the number known, it is still a scarce & desirable token.

Zoins

@tokenpro said:
Wright & Nott is dated - Pritchard is the current catalog of Colorado trade tokens. It notes only one Bumstead token reported but I know of a third piece in a collection as well. No matter the number known, it is still a scarce & desirable token.

Good to know

While Wright & Nott may be dated, it seems both only know of one specimen.

Catalog number Pritchard VI475 is mentioned above in the TokenCatalog.com description.

Definitely desirable given the recent $520 realized price.

It would be great to have photos of the 3rd specimen.

Lazybones

Dagwood Arthur Bumstead...shopped at Arthur Bolles Bumstead's grocery store

DCW

So, do we know who picked up this token off eBay? A very nice addition to any Lesher Dollar set

Zoins

@DCW said:
So, do we know who picked up this token off eBay? A very nice addition to any Lesher Dollar set

I still don't have an idea. Perhaps someone in the Lesher Dollar crowd would know?

DCW

Tokens offer such a tangible link to history. I just love researching the establishments and putting faces to them.
Still a great thread @Zoins

Zoins

@DCW said:
Tokens offer such a tangible link to history. I just love researching the establishments and putting faces to them.
Still a great thread @Zoins

Thanks Den!

It's great when we can connect tokens to period photos and other records of the people behind them. It really makes the token's history come alive. I think this is much more interesting for store cards than coins as most coins are associated with a small number of people at the Mint.