(1853) Silver Token Rulau Ala-4, Mobile Jockey Club

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,350 MS68 03-09-2022 eBay

Description

Silver membership or admission token for the Mobile Jockey Club of Alabama, 1853. The Mobile Jockey Club was one of the premier horse racing organizations in the antebellum South, established during the golden age of Southern thoroughbred racing. Mobile, Alabama's principal port city, was a center of wealth and social refinement before the Civil War. Silver tokens from Southern jockey clubs are among the most prestigious pieces of antebellum Southern exonumia, representing the intersection of sport, social status, and commerce. The silver composition indicates this was a high-status membership or season-pass piece. Silver, 35mm. The 1840s and 1850s saw merchant tokens evolve from simple trade pieces to more elaborate designs, as die sinkers like George H. Lovett and Robert Lovett Jr. elevated the craft. Early American tokens have attracted growing collector attention as their value as primary historical documents becomes more widely recognized.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Antebellum Southern jockey club token in silver, representing the elite social world of pre-Civil War horse racing. Mobile Jockey Club tokens are prized by collectors of Alabama numismatica, antebellum Southern social history, and sports-related exonumia. Silver composition makes this one of the most valuable Miscellaneous Rulau pieces.

Cross References

Rulau Ala-4; PCGS #890141