(1858-60) Token Miller PA-382 Copper Partridge & Richardson PA

Coin Details

Description

Partridge & Richardson were prominent Philadelphia clothing merchants who operated a large retail establishment. Their copper token (Miller PA-382) advertised ready-made clothing, a rapidly growing segment of the American retail market in the late 1850s. Philadelphia was a major center of the clothing trade, with its textile mills and garment workshops producing goods for both local and national markets. Copper was the workhorse metal of the American token industry, and this piece exemplifies the standard merchant store card format. The copper planchet accepted fine engraving detail and resisted corrosion, helping tokens survive decades of pocket carry. Cataloged as Miller PA-382 in the standard reference for American merchant tokens. Pre-Civil War merchant tokens circulated during a period of chronic small change shortages, when copper tokens filled an essential gap in the American monetary system. Tokens of this type are collected both as numismatic objects and as historical documents of 19th century American business.

Rarity Notes

Copper striking, the standard metal for merchant tokens of this period. Miller PA-382.

Cross References

Miller PA-382