(1859-60) Token Miller La-38A Brass L.W. Lyons & Co.

Coin Details

Auction Record

$216 MS64 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

L.W. Lyons & Co. were Louisiana merchants whose brass token (Miller La-38A) dates to 1859-1860, the eve of the Civil War. Louisiana seceded from the Union in January 1861, making merchant tokens from this period transitional documents of a commercial economy about to be transformed by war. The firm operated during the final years of New Orleans' golden age as the South's commercial capital, before the Union capture of the city in April 1862 ended its role as a Confederate port. The brass composition gave this token an attractive golden hue that distinguished it from copper coinage. Brass planchets were slightly more expensive than copper but produced a more visually striking advertising piece. Cataloged as Miller La-38A. The Miller reference catalog, compiled by Donald M. Miller, remains the standard numismatic reference for American merchant store cards and provides the definitive numbering system used by collectors and auction houses.

Rarity Notes

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

Cross References

Miller La-38A