(1876) White Metal Token Pa Ph-892, Thomas DePuy

Coin Details

Description

Struck in white metal for the 1876 Centennial International Exposition, this token (Pa Ph-892) was commissioned by Thomas DePuy, general merchandise dealer of Philadelphia. A Philadelphia merchant who commissioned seven varieties across copper, brass, and white metal. The DePuy series spans Rulau Pa-Ph 890-896. Brass varieties survive in smaller numbers. Struck in the tin-lead alloy that constitutes the largest share of surviving Centennial merchant tokens. White metal's affordability removed the cost barrier to generous distribution, and merchants gave tokens to any visitor who entered their establishment. Dies for this merchant token were produced at the Lingg workshop on North 8th Street, which served as the central production facility for Centennial advertising pieces. The Rulau catalog assigns each Centennial token a geographic prefix and number — Pa-Ph for Philadelphia issues, NY-NY for New York — with separate entries for each metal variant of a given die.

Rarity Notes

Pa Ph-892 in white metal is a collectible Centennial merchant token. A Philadelphia merchant who commissioned seven varieties across copper, brass, and white metal. Most examples survive in VF to EF condition.

Cross References

; PCGS #615253