1867 Fifty Cent Token - Durfee & Peck Copper Trade

Coin Details

Description

This 1867 copper fifty-cent trade token was issued by Durfee & Peck, a successor firm or partnership evolution of the E.H. Durfee who issued tokens in 1866. The fifty-cent denomination represents a substantial face value for a trade token, indicating this piece was intended for significant merchandise transactions rather than the penny-level exchanges typical of Civil War-era tokens. The Durfee & Peck partnership indicates the expansion of the original Durfee business to include a partner named Peck. Post-Civil War trade tokens in denominations above one cent are less common than the ubiquitous cent-sized pieces of the war years, as they served a different commercial function — store credit for larger purchases rather than small change substitutes. The copper composition provides this piece with the durability required for repeated commercial handling.

Rarity Notes

Copper fifty-cent trade token. Higher denomination post-Civil War trade token. Durfee & Peck partnership.

Cross References

PCGS #810973; Durfee & Peck, Copper, Fifty Cent Trade Token, 1867