1892 Token Ferracute Coining Press Copper

Coin Details

Auction Record

$3,884 MS62 04-01-2014 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1892 copper token was produced by the Ferracute Machine Company to showcase their coining press technology. Ferracute's presses were used by the U.S. Mint and numerous foreign mints, making the company a critical supplier to the world's coin manufacturing infrastructure. Oberlin Smith, Ferracute's founder, was also a pioneering inventor who filed one of the earliest patents for magnetic recording technology. These demonstration tokens were struck at exhibitions and trade shows to display the precision and power of Ferracute's coining equipment. The copper composition provided excellent durability for everyday handling. Merchant tokens in copper circulated freely alongside federal cents, and the familiar reddish-brown metal ensured ready acceptance in local commerce. Collecting merchant store cards has been an active pursuit since the Civil War era, with systematic cataloging beginning with Lyman Low's work in the 1890s and continuing through Miller's comprehensive reference.

Rarity Notes

Copper striking, the standard metal for merchant tokens of this period. Ferracute series.