1857 Twenty Five Cent Token - Token TC-188288 Brass 28mm Sharpless Brothers

Coin Details

Description

This 1857 brass token, 28mm in diameter, cataloged as TC-188288, was issued by Sharpless Brothers, a prominent Philadelphia dry goods firm that operated one of the city's leading department stores during the mid-nineteenth century. The Sharpless Brothers store on Chestnut Street was a Philadelphia retail institution, and their tokens served as both advertising and store credit. The twenty-five cent denomination stamped on this piece indicates it could be redeemed for merchandise at that value, functioning as a form of privately issued fractional currency. The 1857 date places this token on the eve of the Panic of 1857, one of the first truly global financial crises, which devastated Philadelphia's commercial sector. Merchant tokens from major retail establishments like Sharpless Brothers provide valuable documentation of the pre-Civil War commercial landscape.

Rarity Notes

Brass 28mm, TC-188288. Sharpless Brothers of Philadelphia. Pre-Civil War merchant token with stated denomination.

Cross References

PCGS #961812; TC-188288; Sharpless Brothers, Philadelphia, 25-Cent Token, Brass