(c.1850) Token Miller NY-1029 Copper A.C. Yates

Coin Details

Auction Record

$149 MS64BN 08-28-2023 eBay

Description

A.C. Yates operated a "Clothing Emporium" at 13-15 North Salina Street in Syracuse, New York, known by the distinctive sign "Old Man with Specs." Despite the Miller NY catalog prefix, Yates was a Syracuse merchant, not a New York City business. The firm sold ready-made clothing during the era when factory-produced garments were transforming the American clothing industry. Yates's tokens (Miller NY-1028 and NY-1029) advertised his retail establishment, which served the growing population of central New York during a period of rapid canal and railroad expansion. Struck in copper, this token matched the federal large cent in appearance and weight, making it immediately recognizable to the public. Copper remained the dominant planchet choice for merchant tokens throughout the antebellum and Civil War periods. Cataloged as Miller NY-1029 in the standard reference for American merchant tokens. Tokens of this type are collected both as numismatic objects and as historical documents of 19th century American business.

Rarity Notes

Copper striking, the standard metal for merchant tokens of this period. Miller NY-1029. Yates issued 2 known token varieties.

Cross References

Miller NY-1029