There are actually a couple known. I had an opportunity to buy one awhile back, but didn't have $1800 to shell out within a day or two and missed out. Where was this one at auction???
Very cool collection. I once had an 1892 Indian CE elongate, I recognize the pattern from some of your coins. I found it in the bargain bin at a flea market for $5. I'll have to se if I have pictures, the coin itself was long since eBayed away.
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
Awesome additions. I just picked up an elongated 1884 Straights Settlements 1/4 cent token at the Lakeland show. That brings me to a whopping total of three Columbian Expo. elongateds. I'd love to collect more, but I'm concentrating on souvenir spoons from the fair. 70 spoons so far, about 340 to go.
Does anyone know anything about the bread token I have? I cannot find any info on a Breit Ling's Candy Kitchen or anything remotely close to it. Someone had suggested possibly Canadian, but I don't have any reference on Canadian tokens.
Thanks for allowing us to share with you a collection that, while unusal, displays a passion and focus that any collector can appreciate. Good luck and keep us posted!!!
Updated with many new elongateds. I want to thank Rich Hartzog of www.exonumia.com. Turns out he's somewhat of an expert in Mint medals and so-called dollars. He has an incredible inventory and is full of information. I have talked about so-called dollars, slave badges/tags as well as Peace Medals that he has up for auction on occassion. Really nice guy.
There have been rumors that some of the dies do exist, though no one seems to know where they are. For all I know, I could have post-fair re-rolls. I don't think so, though. My one concern is the aluminum bread token. My understanding is that aluminum wasn't a popular metal until the fair where it was widely advertised as an inexpensive industrial metal. As many know, there are many so-called dollars in aluminum from the fair. I've been trying to research the history of the bread token but to no avail.
I have also talked to many researchers of the WCE regarding the elongating machines. One of the researchers even collects elongateds. He is always examining every picture for a machine (of course not knowing what they looked like). He also reads letters hoping one day to find someone write 'We left the Transportation Building where we found this unique machine that made a wonderful souvenier. We put in a nickel and it stretched it out and put the '1893 Columbian Exposition' on it.' To this day, he has not found any such letter to indicate even where the machines were located. We do know that there was one on Cairo Street. This is known because die #6 in the Dow book references a 2-sided die with "Columbian Exposition" on one side and "Cairo Street" on the other. This is the rarest of the dies. It is also the only double-sided die at the fair. It is also very likely that die #5 from the Dow book was located in the Canadian Building. Most of the elongated coins that have the die #5 are Canadian coins (I own 2). I know another collector that have many examples of this die and all of his coins are Canadian. I have seen pictures of US coins with this die.
I find it very interesting that none of the dies are accounted for. There are so many avenues to search in an attempt to find where they were located and what they looked like. Stereoviews, postcards, letters, picture books, and so on. The research could be endless. I have a coworker who mentioned growing up in Chicago and living in a house within walking distance to where the fairgrounds were located. She said the house was full of memorabilia and souvenirs from the fair but everything was destroyed when the house was bulldozed, what ashame.
It is also amazing to think of all the tickets that were issued for one thing or that. There was an elevator offered by the Vertical Transit Company that sold rides. This was in the Transportation Building. THere are only about 12 known remaining tickets (of which I own one). The Ferris Wheel ticket is a major rarity with 21 known examples (one is up for sale on ebay right now and I have a very hefty bid waiting). Certainly there are more tickets somewhere, but where? Do families really have them? Did they end up in Europe? Where could they be?
Many thanks to Tom at Harlan Berk for finding a couple of mistakes in my dates during a recent visit. We also found the date of issue on the Cleveland token and it is a campaign token from 1888! Thanks Tom! Anyone visiting Chicago should take the time to visit the store.
Thank YOU for showing me that great collection! The CE piece you show as your logo is the only one of those I have ever seen in my life. Tom D.
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
Comments
historical and not easily replaceable
this would make one fantastic display at a coin show
$1800.00
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
Does anyone know anything about the bread token I have? I cannot find any info on a Breit Ling's Candy Kitchen or anything remotely close to it. Someone had suggested possibly Canadian, but I don't have any reference on Canadian tokens.
You have some very rare pieces there. Congratulations!
Our eBay auctions - TRUE auctions: start at $0.01, no reserve, 30 day unconditional return privilege & free shipping!
Dan
I will add a few more over the weekend when I get home and can take better pictures.
Go BIG or GO HOME. ©Bill
I used to own a three cent nickel of these but traded it off.
It would be really cool to see one of the presses that made these. I wonder if any have survived?
I have also talked to many researchers of the WCE regarding the elongating machines. One of the researchers even collects elongateds. He is always examining every picture for a machine (of course not knowing what they looked like). He also reads letters hoping one day to find someone write 'We left the Transportation Building where we found this unique machine that made a wonderful souvenier. We put in a nickel and it stretched it out and put the '1893 Columbian Exposition' on it.' To this day, he has not found any such letter to indicate even where the machines were located. We do know that there was one on Cairo Street. This is known because die #6 in the Dow book references a 2-sided die with "Columbian Exposition" on one side and "Cairo Street" on the other. This is the rarest of the dies. It is also the only double-sided die at the fair. It is also very likely that die #5 from the Dow book was located in the Canadian Building. Most of the elongated coins that have the die #5 are Canadian coins (I own 2). I know another collector that have many examples of this die and all of his coins are Canadian. I have seen pictures of US coins with this die.
Tom D.