(1876) Brass Token Pa-Ph 227, Mule w/ Pa-Ph 229 Obv

Coin Details

Description

A brass mule token (Pa-Ph 227), this piece was created by pairing the die 227 and the Centennial commemorative die with Liberty Bell design, the central symbol of the Exposition. Produced at the Lingg & Bro. shop at 36 North 8th Street in Philadelphia, mule tokens were created as special collector pieces by combining dies from unrelated token series. Mule combinations were produced in limited quantities, making them sought after by advanced Centennial token collectors. The brass composition gave this token an attractive golden appearance, distinguishing it from the more commonly encountered white metal and copper versions of this merchant's series. The merchant tokens from the 1876 Centennial preserve a snapshot of Philadelphia's commercial life, documenting businesses ranging from restaurants and hotels to dry goods stores and hardware dealers.

Rarity Notes

As a die mule, Pa-Ph 227 in brass is inherently scarcer than standard single-issuer tokens. These cross-die combinations were created as collector novelties by Lingg & Bro.

Cross References

Pa-Ph 227; PCGS #694397