(1880) Copper Token Rulau MO-SL 2, Anheuser-Busch

Coin Details

Description

Copper advertising token for Anheuser-Busch of St. Louis, Missouri, 1880. Eberhard Anheuser and Adolphus Busch had merged their brewing operations in 1879, creating what would become the world's largest brewing company. By 1880, Anheuser-Busch was aggressively marketing its lager beer through advertising tokens, trade cards, and other promotional items. This token dates from the early years of the combined firm, before Budweiser (1876) had achieved its later dominance. Brewing company tokens from the Gilded Age are a popular collecting specialty. Copper, 25mm. Late 19th century tokens document American commercial life during the Gilded Age, when rapid industrialization transformed the retail landscape. St. Louis merchant tokens document the city's role as the gateway to the American West, where Eastern commerce met the frontier economy. Well-preserved examples of this token type are sought after by both exonumia specialists and collectors of American historical ephemera.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Early Anheuser-Busch advertising token from just one year after the Anheuser-Busch merger. Brewing tokens are one of the most popular advertising token categories. Anheuser-Busch items from the 1880s predate the company's later massive growth and are prized by brewing history collectors.

Cross References

Rulau MO-SL 2; PCGS #771767