(c.1893) Token Rulau-NJ-Brg-6 Brass Ferracute - Dogs

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,271 Genuine 04-01-2014 Stack's Bowers

Description

This brass souvenir token (Rulau NJ-Brg-6) featuring a dog design was struck on a Ferracute press, likely at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago or a similar exhibition. Ferracute regularly produced souvenir tokens at fairs and expositions to demonstrate their coin press machinery. The "Dogs" design was one of several decorative motifs used for these demonstration strikes, which served as both advertising for Ferracute's equipment and as collectible souvenirs for exhibition visitors. Brass was a favored alternative to copper for merchant tokens, offering a warm golden tone that attracted attention. This brass striking would have stood out immediately in a handful of copper cents. The Miller reference catalog, compiled by Donald M. Miller, remains the standard numismatic reference for American merchant store cards and provides the definitive numbering system used by collectors and auction houses. Authentication of merchant store cards relies on die characteristics, metal analysis, and provenance, as counterfeits of the rarest varieties exist.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more commonly encountered metal variants for merchant tokens.