Civil War Tokens
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mhonzell
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Re: Civil War Tokens
A NY630D-1a by George Glaubrecht.
Although purists point out that this piece is technically a maverick since the city is not named, there's not much doubt about Bang's location: a few years later, in 1866, the New York Times reported that his restaurant at 231 Broadway had been heavily damaged by fire. There's also a certain amount of quibbling about the name Glaubrecht. Some listings even refer to "Glaubrecht Rhine Wines." However, I think it's far more likely that this is the mark of George J. Glaubrecht, a NYC diesinker who struck other Civil War store cards and patriotic tokens.
"THE GREAT FIRE CORNER OF BROADWAY AND BARCLAY STREET, APRIL 6, 1866.
BURNING OF BANG*S BUILDING.
New York, April 6, 1866.
Messrs. Herring & Co., No. 251 Broadway:
Gentlemen — The Herring Patent Safe we bought of you a few years ago has just been dug out from the ruins of the recent extensive fire, corner of Broadway and Barclay street. Our building, No. 231 Broadway, where the fire originated, was entirely burnt out, and we had barely time to escape with our lives. The safe was exposed to intense beat, yet we are happy to inform you that everything it contained — books, papers, and" money — are good as new.
H. J. BANG,
No. 231 Broadway. " - Fighting Fire for Twenty-Six Years
This same building had burned down in 1854 when it was a clothing store killing 25. (10 Firemen)
April 25th, 1854.
Although purists point out that this piece is technically a maverick since the city is not named, there's not much doubt about Bang's location: a few years later, in 1866, the New York Times reported that his restaurant at 231 Broadway had been heavily damaged by fire. There's also a certain amount of quibbling about the name Glaubrecht. Some listings even refer to "Glaubrecht Rhine Wines." However, I think it's far more likely that this is the mark of George J. Glaubrecht, a NYC diesinker who struck other Civil War store cards and patriotic tokens.
"THE GREAT FIRE CORNER OF BROADWAY AND BARCLAY STREET, APRIL 6, 1866.
BURNING OF BANG*S BUILDING.
New York, April 6, 1866.
Messrs. Herring & Co., No. 251 Broadway:
Gentlemen — The Herring Patent Safe we bought of you a few years ago has just been dug out from the ruins of the recent extensive fire, corner of Broadway and Barclay street. Our building, No. 231 Broadway, where the fire originated, was entirely burnt out, and we had barely time to escape with our lives. The safe was exposed to intense beat, yet we are happy to inform you that everything it contained — books, papers, and" money — are good as new.
H. J. BANG,
No. 231 Broadway. " - Fighting Fire for Twenty-Six Years
This same building had burned down in 1854 when it was a clothing store killing 25. (10 Firemen)
April 25th, 1854.
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Daniel
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PetesPockets55
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Re: Civil War Tokens
Neat!
Maybe he was a doctor on the side judging by the " hypodermic device" formed by the die crack running through the I of Rhine!
Maybe he was a doctor on the side judging by the " hypodermic device" formed by the die crack running through the I of Rhine!
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mhonzell
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Re: Civil War Tokens
Miller MA 20
This is another "tweener" Merchant Store token. Made between the time of Hard Times Tokens and Civil War Tokens. This token is larger than a modern quarter at ~28mm and made of brass. I found their advertisements in the 1847 Boston Alamac and 1848 Massachusetts State Record. The token is attributed as being made in ~1854.
This is another "tweener" Merchant Store token. Made between the time of Hard Times Tokens and Civil War Tokens. This token is larger than a modern quarter at ~28mm and made of brass. I found their advertisements in the 1847 Boston Alamac and 1848 Massachusetts State Record. The token is attributed as being made in ~1854.
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Daniel
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Re: Civil War Tokens
That is huge for a token and reminds me of one I sold a few years ago. I can't remember how large it was but it was thicker than a standard token.
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PetesPockets55
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Re: Civil War Tokens
mhonzell wrote:......I found their advertisements in the 1847 Boston Alamanac....
Just curious if the old almanacs are hard to come by, because I got one (Boston- 1861 or 1862) at an estate sale about 3 years ago for 50C in a box lot. I never thought of using it to locate merchants mentioned on CWT. It makes for an interesting connection to the CWT tho.
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mhonzell
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Re: Civil War Tokens
Daniel, that is an excellent token! Love those with Washington on them. Wishing I'd been there when you sold that one.
Cliff, I find these document through Google. Almost everything these days has been digitized making a search for a merchant a little easier. There are usually only one or two hits that lead to an old merchant unless something major occurred with them. As to having old documents on hand... I gather old British illustrated newspapers from the Civil War era, sometimes framing them. I have one with a hand drawn image of Lincoln sitting at the Ford Theater with John Wilkes Booth standing behind him. I also have a few bottles from the time when the merchants used to make their labels by embossing the glass instead of using paper.
Cliff, I find these document through Google. Almost everything these days has been digitized making a search for a merchant a little easier. There are usually only one or two hits that lead to an old merchant unless something major occurred with them. As to having old documents on hand... I gather old British illustrated newspapers from the Civil War era, sometimes framing them. I have one with a hand drawn image of Lincoln sitting at the Ford Theater with John Wilkes Booth standing behind him. I also have a few bottles from the time when the merchants used to make their labels by embossing the glass instead of using paper.
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mhonzell
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Re: Civil War Tokens
NY630BA-2a : G.M. Michnatt's Eagle Safe
I get the impression from reading up on this one that he was a distributor and not a manufacturer. Most documents refer to this business as being around in the 1890's. But, according to the American Journal of Numismatics (pg. 87, published 1867) this was listed as Business Card #258. (Yes, they collected and categorized coins and tokens way back then. :-) Seems that Jacob A. Michnatt owned the store in 1898.
The Scovill Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut produced this advertising token. The Scovill Company was established in 1802 as a button manufacturer and is still in business today. Scovill was an early industrial American innovator, adapting armory manufacturing processes to mass-produce a variety of consumer goods including buttons, daguerreotype mats, medals, coins, and tokens.
The top photo (obverse) shows a butcher's mincing blade on a chopping block. The bottom photo (reverse) shows an Eagle Safe on casters. The actual safe was about 3' tall (as a reference to the device's dimensions.) It may look a little dirty, but this token is in great shape.
I get the impression from reading up on this one that he was a distributor and not a manufacturer. Most documents refer to this business as being around in the 1890's. But, according to the American Journal of Numismatics (pg. 87, published 1867) this was listed as Business Card #258. (Yes, they collected and categorized coins and tokens way back then. :-) Seems that Jacob A. Michnatt owned the store in 1898.
The Scovill Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut produced this advertising token. The Scovill Company was established in 1802 as a button manufacturer and is still in business today. Scovill was an early industrial American innovator, adapting armory manufacturing processes to mass-produce a variety of consumer goods including buttons, daguerreotype mats, medals, coins, and tokens.
The top photo (obverse) shows a butcher's mincing blade on a chopping block. The bottom photo (reverse) shows an Eagle Safe on casters. The actual safe was about 3' tall (as a reference to the device's dimensions.) It may look a little dirty, but this token is in great shape.
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mhonzell
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Re: Civil War Tokens
NY630T-1a by L. Roloff
As usual, most of his tokens are about the size of a quarter.
This one is a bit morbid...
J.J. Diehl probably took a hand in the internment of some deceased New York soldiers during the Civil War. Bodies were often shipped home from battlefields and hospitals for formal family ceremonies in local churches and cathedrals, like Saint Patricks in Manhattan. Sometimes relatives or funeral agents went south to battlefields, bringing bodies home by train for a local burial!
Seems a little spooky to have an undertaker's "coins" circulating as "currency" during a deadly Civil War which was killing your dearest friends and relatives.
As usual, most of his tokens are about the size of a quarter.
This one is a bit morbid...
J.J. Diehl probably took a hand in the internment of some deceased New York soldiers during the Civil War. Bodies were often shipped home from battlefields and hospitals for formal family ceremonies in local churches and cathedrals, like Saint Patricks in Manhattan. Sometimes relatives or funeral agents went south to battlefields, bringing bodies home by train for a local burial!
Seems a little spooky to have an undertaker's "coins" circulating as "currency" during a deadly Civil War which was killing your dearest friends and relatives.
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