~ American actor Edwin Forrest, the Gangs of New York, and the Astor Place 1849 Opera Riot ~
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1857-58 Circa, F.C. Keys & Son’s Philadelphia Merchant Store Card, White Metal, 29mm Diameter, Miller-PA262, featuring a obverse bust of Shakespearean American actor Edwin Forrest.
This token was first mentioned in Charles Ira Bushnell’s 1858 book titled “An Arrangement of Tradesman's Cards, Political Tokens, Election Medals”. Although not considered rare it was missing in Benjamin P. Wrights 1898-1901 list compiled of all known store cards. It’s one of the lesser seen tokens not featuring a political figure. Over the course of the last decade this is the only the second time I’ve seen this wreathed Edwin Forrest toga bust die used as the other was on a George H. Lovett token. Not much is known about this issue and I’m not sure if this bust is a William Key creation or a mule featuring a die cut by Lovett. Which wouldn’t surprise me as it was quite common for die-sinkers of the likes of Lovett, Key, Bolen, Kline and others to swap dies. This example here is also the thickest store card I’ve ever seen, as it's almost most medal-like. Although the rim is just under 3mm with the ultra high relief bust of Forrest its 5mm overall in total height which makes for a quite impressive token in hand.
About Edwin Forrest:
He was the first true star of the American theater. Born in 1806 he was fascinated with the theater at a very early age and made his first professional appearance on the stage of Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theater when he was only 14 years old. Six years later he debuted in New York as Othello and became an overnight sensation with both critics and audiences.
The fame of his initial triumph and the power of his performances brought him sold-out houses in city after city. Within two years while still in his early twenties he had become the most highly paid performer in the United States. Professionally secure for fifty years Edwin Forrest remained the most highly paid and most popular actor in America. When he toured England and Europe he was the first American to be acclaimed an international star.
The New York City's Astor Place 1849 Opera Riot:
Staged riots at cultural events were routine in the 1840s. But the Astor Place riot of 1849 cost 22 lives and ending this practice. At best art inspires passion, at worst a riot.
On May 10, 1849 in New York City, a simple spat between rival actors turned into what's now known as the Astor Place Riot. Twenty-two people died and over 120 were injured at the Astor Place Opera House. The rival Macbeths were the English master William Charles McCready versus American Edwin Forrest. Their rivalry had been simmering for several years. Both were international stars, both had toured to each other's countries. Forrest, in 1845, had hissed Macready in Edinburgh. Macready was not too interested in engaging in this rivalry and was trying to avoid it, but Forrest wanted to press his point. So when Macready had his own tour to New York in 1849, Forrest's followers decided to avenge their hero and they're the ones that put together the riot.
Riots in those days especially in theaters were planned ahead of time. And they were usually intended to oppose a specific policy at the theater, not always a rival actor, sometimes a stage manager or even a piece of music that might have been played and ruffled the patriotic feathers in the audience. People would break up some furniture and throw things at the stage. Then retire go home to their dinners and the theater manager would take care of the problem and life would go on.
Forrest's supporters who were a lot of Bowery Boys and Tammany Hall politicians gathered their forces outside the hated Astor Place Opera House. They used Macready's performance as a means of protesting what they took to be elitist privileges in New York City. This was an opera house that had been built two years before and they had special kid glove dress codes and high prices so a lot of the population couldn't get into the opera house. So Macready became a symbol of English oppression of aristocratic privilege, all the things that the Bowery Boys had learned to hate.
Macready did leave but the rioting continued and finally the state militia was called up and brought in. They came to Astor Place Square fired over the heads of a lot of the rioters and ended up killing 22 onlookers. This was not something that Tammany Hall had expected or welcomed. It certainly wasn't a part of the usual we could say rioting conventions of antebellum America and it was a huge scandal for all around.
This token was first mentioned in Charles Ira Bushnell’s 1858 book titled “An Arrangement of Tradesman's Cards, Political Tokens, Election Medals”. Although not considered rare it was missing in Benjamin P. Wrights 1898-1901 list compiled of all known store cards. It’s one of the lesser seen tokens not featuring a political figure. Over the course of the last decade this is the only the second time I’ve seen this wreathed Edwin Forrest toga bust die used as the other was on a George H. Lovett token. Not much is known about this issue and I’m not sure if this bust is a William Key creation or a mule featuring a die cut by Lovett. Which wouldn’t surprise me as it was quite common for die-sinkers of the likes of Lovett, Key, Bolen, Kline and others to swap dies. This example here is also the thickest store card I’ve ever seen, as it's almost most medal-like. Although the rim is just under 3mm with the ultra high relief bust of Forrest its 5mm overall in total height which makes for a quite impressive token in hand.
About Edwin Forrest:
He was the first true star of the American theater. Born in 1806 he was fascinated with the theater at a very early age and made his first professional appearance on the stage of Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theater when he was only 14 years old. Six years later he debuted in New York as Othello and became an overnight sensation with both critics and audiences.
The fame of his initial triumph and the power of his performances brought him sold-out houses in city after city. Within two years while still in his early twenties he had become the most highly paid performer in the United States. Professionally secure for fifty years Edwin Forrest remained the most highly paid and most popular actor in America. When he toured England and Europe he was the first American to be acclaimed an international star.
The New York City's Astor Place 1849 Opera Riot:
Staged riots at cultural events were routine in the 1840s. But the Astor Place riot of 1849 cost 22 lives and ending this practice. At best art inspires passion, at worst a riot.
On May 10, 1849 in New York City, a simple spat between rival actors turned into what's now known as the Astor Place Riot. Twenty-two people died and over 120 were injured at the Astor Place Opera House. The rival Macbeths were the English master William Charles McCready versus American Edwin Forrest. Their rivalry had been simmering for several years. Both were international stars, both had toured to each other's countries. Forrest, in 1845, had hissed Macready in Edinburgh. Macready was not too interested in engaging in this rivalry and was trying to avoid it, but Forrest wanted to press his point. So when Macready had his own tour to New York in 1849, Forrest's followers decided to avenge their hero and they're the ones that put together the riot.
Riots in those days especially in theaters were planned ahead of time. And they were usually intended to oppose a specific policy at the theater, not always a rival actor, sometimes a stage manager or even a piece of music that might have been played and ruffled the patriotic feathers in the audience. People would break up some furniture and throw things at the stage. Then retire go home to their dinners and the theater manager would take care of the problem and life would go on.
Forrest's supporters who were a lot of Bowery Boys and Tammany Hall politicians gathered their forces outside the hated Astor Place Opera House. They used Macready's performance as a means of protesting what they took to be elitist privileges in New York City. This was an opera house that had been built two years before and they had special kid glove dress codes and high prices so a lot of the population couldn't get into the opera house. So Macready became a symbol of English oppression of aristocratic privilege, all the things that the Bowery Boys had learned to hate.
Macready did leave but the rioting continued and finally the state militia was called up and brought in. They came to Astor Place Square fired over the heads of a lot of the rioters and ended up killing 22 onlookers. This was not something that Tammany Hall had expected or welcomed. It certainly wasn't a part of the usual we could say rioting conventions of antebellum America and it was a huge scandal for all around.
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We'll use our hands and hearts and if we must we'll use our heads.
"Look up, old boy, and see what you get." -William Bonney.
Some "coins" (exonumia) have a more interesting history than regular coins.
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Thanks everyone!
Researching exonumia is a lot of fun as although I knew who Edwin Forrest was nothing about him being responsible for the Astor Place Riot.
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
Thanks very much. I had no idea who Edwin Forrest was before reading your post. I also had no idea of opera riots. I was thinking that was a bizarre until I thought about today's flash mobs. I certainly hope that flash mobs do not devolve into flash riots!!
Anyway, the token is really cool and your post is even cooler!
Jim
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