50 Year Old Token with a tragic story, and a rare accompaniment . . .
ZoidMeister
Posts: 3,119 ✭✭✭✭✭
How cool is this . . . . ?
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I recently picked up this really nicely designed New Orleans pictorial token. Unfortunately, the venue this token was promoting had a tragic ending, but it also came with a rare accompaniment piece.
The token is an advertisement for The Lamplighter Club, high atop the Rault Center in New Orleans, LA. The Lamplighter Club was a small rooftop venue at the top of the Rault Center, a 17-story building populated with offices and nice apartments. One of the few high rises in 1970s New Orleans, it boasted a skyline view from the heart of the Central Business District. The lounge attracted many affluent professionals and cocktail lovers looking for a drink with some nice scenery to the corners of Gravier and South Rampart.
It's unfortunate end came 50 years ago this week. On November 29, 1972, a terrible tragedy befell a group of unsuspecting New Orleanians enjoying a quiet afternoon during the holiday season. A fire started on the 16th floor, just below the Lamplighter Club. It was the middle of the day, but the bar was busy that afternoon. The Rault Center had no internal sprinkler system and the blaze quickly escalated, flames and smoke cutting off access to stairwells.
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The full story can be found here:
https://www.hottesthell.com/blog/2020/12/1/fire-at-the-lamplighter-club-1972-new-orleans
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But my story is about the token itself, and the accompanying extra. You see, I acquired this piece with the original obverse die!
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The obverse looks like it has the die engravers signature just beneath the lamp pole. I think it reads CHASE in the engravers hand script.
The reverse of this token bears it's country of origin as pre-reunification West Germany. It also has a logo of a crown with the letters B & K inscribed.
Does anyone recognize this die sinkers logo or signature?
Anyway, I am happy to become the latest exonumia collector to own the original die related to one of my pieces.
Z
Busy chasing Carr's . . . . . woof!
Successful BST transactions with: Bullsitter, Downtown1974, P0CKETCHANGE, Twobitcollector, AKbeez, DCW, Illini420, ProofCollection, DCarr, Cazkaboom, RichieURich, LukeMarshall, carew4me, BustDMs, coinsarefun, PreTurb, felinfoal, jwitten, GoldenEgg, pruebas, lazybones, COCollector, CuKevin, MWallace, USMC_6115, NamVet69, zippcity, . . . . who'd I forget?
Comments
That's the second time it has been sold/bought on the BST.
The story really adds to the historical interest.
Nice research! Really makes these pieces come alive.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
That is a very cool token.... Also cool that you now have the die. Cheers, RickO
Great Die and Token!
It's all about what the people want...
Sad story. Acts of bravery. Thanks for posting. Nice pickup, I love having associated items, a die is extra special.
Here is a similar Lamplighter Club token I picked up a while ago.
This one is hawking the Lamplighter Club's "Dude Ranch + Golf Club" at Lake Hillsdale / Poplarville, Mississippi.
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Obviously different dies were used for this one. What's interesting about this token from 1969 is what appears to be the same designers signature (CHASE). This time the signature appears on both sides of the token.
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I am still trying to determine more information on the W. German reference on the reverse of the original piece I posted. That and the crown with the B&K within are still a mystery to me.
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Z
Busy chasing Carr's . . . . . woof!
Successful BST transactions with: Bullsitter, Downtown1974, P0CKETCHANGE, Twobitcollector, AKbeez, DCW, Illini420, ProofCollection, DCarr, Cazkaboom, RichieURich, LukeMarshall, carew4me, BustDMs, coinsarefun, PreTurb, felinfoal, jwitten, GoldenEgg, pruebas, lazybones, COCollector, CuKevin, MWallace, USMC_6115, NamVet69, zippcity, . . . . who'd I forget?
Cool token and die! I remember that die on the bst.
Excellent post