New York’s Crystal Palace & The H.B. West Tokens
The brainchild of a German immigrant, New York’s Crystal Palace was built in the early 1850s as an exhibition hall. Inspired by London’s famous Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, entrepreneur and promoter Christian E. Detmold had a dream to erect a similar venue in the United States, where
Edward Aschermann’s Cigar & Tobacco Tokens
Born in Germany in 1834, Edward Aschermann emigrated to the United States at about the age of 16. Quickly assimilating as a new immigrant, Aschermann didn’t wait very long to establish his own business. It is uncertain as to when Aschermann took residence in Wisconsin, but as early as 1859
George T. Hussey & His Special Message Tokens
Long before the days of email attachments, fax machines, Federal Express, DHL, and even wire transfers there existed Hussey’s Instant Special Message Post. The brainchild of George Tuttle Hussey, his business provided same day delivery service
The Forgotten Tokens of Howell Works Garden
In the early 1830s New Jersey, there was a picturesque and grandiose town established, situated in Monmouth County. Located thirteen miles south of Freehold, and six miles west of Sea Girt, the settlement was known as the town of Allaire.
The Samuel Hart Playing Card Company & Its Tokens
Samuel Hart and his playing cards are a legend in American history in both the sport and pastime card players. Hart is credited with the introduction of many advancements and innovations which have become the standard features of playing cards available for purchase today in the United States.
Hanna & Co Tobacconists – Detroit, Michigan
As early as the middle of the 16th Century, less than 100 years after Columbus’ journey to the new world, tobacco was readily farmed and consumed by Europeans who voyaged and settled in the Americas. A plant long cultivated by Native Americans, Europeans quickly adopted an affinity for its consumption,
VOTE THE LAND / FREE Token
Historically, numismatic researchers such as Rulau, Brunk, and others have attributed the VOTE THE LAND / FREE token to the Free Soil Party, which was a political movement that believed in the precondition that all new states admitted
Oberlin Smith’s Ferracute Machine Company Tokens
The Ferracute Machine Company was founded by American Inventor and industrialist and inventor Oberlin Smith in 1863. Established in the town of Bridgeton, New Jersey, the company was in existence for 105 years until 1968.
Our Nation’s First Interstate & Toll Tokens
Our nation’s first interstate, the National Road, traversed through Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. It was the United States’ first fully paved highway, funded and built by the Federal government. Providing a connection between the Potomac and Ohio Rivers, it initially stretched a distance of approximately 620
Attributing N.C. Folger Tokens of New Orleans
Of the many token varieties listed in Wright, Miller, and Rulau, few are as difficult to attribute than the merchant token emissions of Nathan C. Folger. Collectors will find that this is not because the emissions consist of a vast number of obscure differences, but rather because the aforementioned authors did an incredibly confusing job of documenting the varieties.
18th Century Provincial Tokens
Dalton & Hamer’s Provincial Token-Coinage of the 18th Century. Published 1910. The guide is an exhaustive work on attributing Conder tokens struck throughout the United Kingdom, and is considered by collectors as the ultimate authoritative catalog for Conder tokens. The guide itself is organized based on five major geographic regions…
Fenian Brotherhood’s 1866 Token
Shortly before the American Civil War, an Irish nationalist militia was formed in the United States. Founded by Irish immigrants John O’Mahony and Michael Doheny, it was known as the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Situated as an arm of the Ireland-based Irish Republican Brotherhood, it was an organization whose goal was
The Tyson’s Telegraph Line Tokens
The Tyson & Company omnibus service operated in New York City in the mid-18th century. The company operated several routes, and is listed as having 29 stages in the company’s fleet. Omnibuses were urban stagecoaches that could carry multiple passengers like buses. Passengers paid their fares using tokens, and provided them
The Castle Garden Tokens of NYC
Situated at the southernmost tip of Manhattan, Fort Clinton was erected as defensive countermeasure to British forces as the threat of war grew between the United States and Britain in the early 19th century. Construction of the massive fort began in 1809, and workers completed the complex in 1811.
Henry Miller’s Winter Garden Tokens
Born in Lobenstein Germany on April 2, 1820, Henry Miller emigrated to the United States on July 1st 1845. Upon his initial arrival in New York City, Miller immediately located to Philadelphia. Upon his arrival in Philadelphia, Miller took a job as a scale-maker, and pursued this vocation until 1849.
Allegheny City and Its Tokens – Gone But Not Forgotten
Allegheny City was located just across the Allegheny River from downtown Pittsburgh, PA. It is now known simply as “the North Side” (See figure 1). Allegheny was long ago absorbed by the growing city of Pittsburgh, but its memory lives on…
Michigan’s Copper Rush & Portage Lake Bridge Token
It was the 1843 Copper Rush on Michigan’s Keenesaw Peninsula that the towns of Hancock and Houghton owe their existence. Long known about by Native Americans for millennia, the area possessed rich deposits of copper and silver ores…
Charles Lennon’s Soda Tokens – Alexandria Va
Prior to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of June 30th 1906, there existed many merchants and purveyors who foisted various toxic preparations and other snake oils on the American public. Charles G. Lennon was one of them…
Abolition – A Numismatic Perspective
History clearly records that the 1860 Presidential Race was a pivotal moment for the future of the United States. The movement for the abolition of slavery was not a quick phenomena, but rather one which took decades…
The Toxaway Cotton Mill Tokens of Anderson, SC
Critical to the success in the early 20th century southern textile industry were the mill villages. Like coal and mining towns that supported their industries, mill villages supported textile and cotton mills, and were fully functional towns unto themselves…
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