(1876) Brass Token NY-NY 302, Stiners Tea Company

Coin Details

Description

Struck in brass for the 1876 Centennial International Exposition, this token (NY-NY 302) was commissioned by Stiners Tea Company, tea merchant of New York City. A NYC tea company that used Centennial tokens for advertising, contrasting with the much larger Great Union Pacific Tea Company. Single NY-NY 302 token contrasts with Great Union Pacific Tea series. Struck in brass (a copper-zinc alloy), a premium composition for Centennial tokens. The golden color made brass pieces stand out among the more common white metal and copper tokens. Manufactured by the Lingg firm, the dominant producer of merchant tokens during the 1876 Centennial season. Centennial token collectors use the Rulau catalog numbering system, which identifies each token by geographic origin and assigns separate entries for different metal compositions of the same die pair.

Rarity Notes

Cataloged as NY-NY 302, this brass variety has moderate availability among Centennial token collectors. Well-struck examples with full details are preferred by specialists.

Cross References

NY-NY 302; PCGS #861958