(1876) White Metal Token Pa-Ph 961, Hughes House

Coin Details

Auction Record

$40 AU Details 04-12-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

This white metal Centennial token (Pa-Ph 961) was issued by Hughes House, a hotel or boarding house of Philadelphia. A Philadelphia lodging establishment near the Centennial grounds, with four varieties. Philadelphia hotels were chronically overcrowded by the ten million Exposition visitors. Hotels near exposition were chronically overcrowded. Pa-Ph 960-965 represents significant advertising investment. White metal, the composition in which the greatest number of Centennial tokens were produced and survive today. The minimal cost per white metal token enabled a distribution model closer to modern business cards than to commemorative medals. Dies were cut at the Lingg brothers' Philadelphia workshop, where the firm had developed efficient production methods for the high volume of merchant token orders. These tokens functioned simultaneously as merchant advertising and personal keepsakes, allowing Exposition visitors to carry home a tangible reminder of both their visit and the issuing business.

Rarity Notes

Pa-Ph 961 in white metal is a collectible Centennial merchant token. A Philadelphia lodging establishment near the Centennial grounds, with four varieties. Philadelphia hotels were chronically overcrowded by the ten million Exposition visitors. Most examples survive in VF to EF condition.

Cross References

Pa-Ph 961; PCGS #908448