(1890s) White Metal Token Rulau Bkn-22A, Coney Island Elephantine Colossus

Coin Details

Description

White metal souvenir token from the Elephantine Colossus at Coney Island, Brooklyn, circa 1890s. The Elephantine Colossus was a six-story, 122-foot tall elephant-shaped building constructed in 1885 by James V. Lafferty on Coney Island's beachfront. The wooden and tin structure contained a hotel, shops, and an observation deck accessible via stairs in the elephant's legs. The building quickly became notorious and was destroyed by fire in 1896. It was modeled after Lafferty's earlier elephant building in Margate, New Jersey ('Lucy the Elephant,' which still stands). White metal, 25mm. The late 19th century advertising revolution extended to tokens, with Gilded Age merchants using metal pieces as portable promotions in an era when commercial competition drove innovation in marketing. Well-preserved examples of this token type are sought after by both exonumia specialists and collectors of American historical ephemera.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Souvenir from one of Coney Island's most famous and bizarre structures. The Elephantine Colossus's destruction by fire in 1896 limits surviving memorabilia. Tokens from the building are prized by Coney Island historians, architectural curiosity collectors, and Brooklyn numismatists.

Cross References

Rulau Bkn-22A; PCGS #816827