1900 Token Rualu-NJ-Brg-4 Brass Paris Exposition International

Coin Details

Auction Record

$3,346 MS65 04-01-2014 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1900 brass token, cataloged as Rualu-NJ-Brg-4, was produced for the Paris Exposition Internationale by a firm based in Bridgeton, New Jersey — almost certainly Ferracute Machine Company, which was headquartered in that city. The Rulau catalog reference (with "Rualu" being a variant spelling occasionally seen) identifies this within the standard New Jersey trade token reference. The "Paris Exposition International" inscription places this among the American-produced tokens commemorating or distributed at the 1900 Paris fair, which was one of the largest international expositions ever mounted, attracting over 50 million visitors. American industrial firms used the Paris Exposition as a major sales platform for their products in European markets, and commemorative tokens served as tangible reminders of the technological capabilities they demonstrated at the fair.

Rarity Notes

Brass, Rualu-NJ-Brg-4. Paris Exposition International token. New Jersey provenance connects to Ferracute.

Cross References

Rualu-NJ-Brg-4; PCGS #519975; Paris Exposition International, Brass, 1900