1901 Token L-TM58 White Metal Pan-American Expo

Coin Details

Description

This 1901 white metal token cataloged as L-TM58 commemorates the Pan-American Exposition held in Buffalo, New York, from May through November 1901. The exposition celebrated progress and commerce across the Western Hemisphere, featuring elaborate Beaux-Arts architecture and the novelty of widespread electric lighting powered by nearby Niagara Falls. The fair is remembered tragically as the site of President William McKinley's assassination on September 6, 1901, when anarchist Leon Czolgosz shot him in the Temple of Music. White metal — a tin-based alloy — was commonly used for inexpensive souvenir tokens distributed or sold at world's fairs and expositions. This token is one of dozens of varieties produced for the Pan-American Exposition, documenting the commercial and cultural ambitions of early twentieth-century America.

Rarity Notes

White metal souvenir token. Pan-American Exposition pieces are widely collected. Moderate availability in lower grades.

Cross References

PCGS #967641; L-TM58; 1901 Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo NY