(1884-94) Brass Token Rulau-Md-Ba65 Brunk-25455, Lyon-Hall & Co., Baltimore

Coin Details

Description

This (1884-94) Brass Token Rulau-Md-Ba65 bears a merchant counterstamp attributed to Lyon-Hall & Co., Baltimore, cataloged as Brunk 25455. Counterstamps were applied to circulating coins by merchants, silversmiths, and tradesmen as a form of portable advertising — the business card of early America. The Lyon-Hall & Co., Baltimore stamp identifies a business operating in Baltimore, one of many merchants who used coin counterstamping to advertise their trade. The host coin is a 1884 token from the Rulau Tokens (1700-1900) series. Struck in brass, weighing 3 grams, 19 mm in diameter. Cataloged as PCGS #968656. Counterstamped coins documented in Gregory G. Brunk's "American and Canadian Countermarked Coins" sit at the intersection of numismatics and Americana — each piece is a primary-source historical document of early American commerce. The counterstamp adds a unique layer of provenance that distinguishes this coin from all other examples of its type.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Late 19th-century Baltimore merchant token with dual catalog attribution in both Rulau and Brunk references. Baltimore Gilded Age merchant tokens are less common than Philadelphia or New York issues from the same period.

Cross References

Rulau-Md-Ba65; Brunk-25455; PCGS #968656