(1858-60) Token Miller La-42 Brass Robert Pitkin

Coin Details

Auction Record

$240 MS64 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

Robert Pitkin was a dealer in clothing and furnishing goods at 13-15 Camp Street in New Orleans. His store sold boys' clothing, shirts, trunks, and umbrellas to the city's diverse population. Pitkin's brass token (Miller La-42) was manufactured by the Scovill Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut, demonstrating the reach of Northern token producers into Southern markets. New Orleans was the largest city in the antebellum South and the primary port for cotton exports, supporting a diverse merchant community that was disrupted by the Union capture of the city in April 1862. The brass alloy provided this token with a golden luster that differentiated it from common copper cents. Brass tokens were perceived as slightly more valuable than copper issues, making them more likely to be retained by recipients. Cataloged as Miller La-42. Collector interest in merchant store cards has grown as the tokens are increasingly recognized as primary historical documents of 19th century commerce.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more commonly encountered metal variants for merchant tokens.

Cross References

Miller La-42