(1873) Copper-Nickel Token Rulau NY-Os20, Oswego Starch Factory

Coin Details

Description

Copper-nickel advertising token for the Oswego Starch Factory of Oswego, New York, 1873. The Oswego Starch Factory, founded by Thomas Kingsford in 1848, became America's largest producer of corn starch and was Oswego's dominant industrial employer. Kingsford's Oswego Starch was a household name throughout the United States and was exported worldwide. The factory's tokens served as advertising pieces promoting the brand. The copper-nickel composition was chosen to resemble contemporary United States nickel coinage, giving the token an official monetary appearance. Copper-nickel, 19mm. Industrial expansion after the war created a prosperous merchant class that increasingly embraced numismatic collecting, driving demand for historical tokens as collectible artifacts. New York merchant tokens are among the most diverse and heavily collected in American exonumia, reflecting the city's dominance as the nation's commercial capital.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Advertising token from one of 19th-century America's most famous industrial brands. Kingsford's Oswego Starch tokens are collected by industrial history enthusiasts, Oswego local historians, and advertising token specialists. The copper-nickel composition adds interest.

Cross References

Rulau NY-Os20; PCGS #840016