(1876) White Metal Token Pa-Ph 499B, Wilson & Fenimore

Coin Details

Description

Issued by Wilson & Fenimore during the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, this white metal token (Pa-Ph 499B) advertises a general merchants operating from Philadelphia. Philadelphia merchants with a single white metal token (Pa-Ph 499B). Single white metal (Pa-Ph 499B) represents modest advertising. As the most economical composition, white metal tokens were produced in the largest numbers and distributed most broadly, making them the most accessible Centennial souvenirs. Made by the Lingg die-sinking establishment, which had positioned itself as the primary supplier of merchant tokens for the Centennial. As historical artifacts, these tokens record the business names, locations, and trades of Philadelphia merchants during the Centennial year — information often absent from other surviving records. As the first World's Fair on American soil, the 1876 Centennial served the dual purpose of commemorating national independence and establishing the United States as a global industrial power.

Rarity Notes

Pa-Ph 499B in white metal is a collectible Centennial merchant token. Philadelphia merchants with a single white metal token (Pa-Ph 499B). Most examples survive in VF to EF condition.

Cross References

Pa-Ph 499B; PCGS #908431