No Date Token Benice 3A Gold-Washed Nugget Charles E. Sealy - Latouche AK Trade

Coin Details

Description

This undated gold-washed token cataloged as Benice 3A was issued by Charles E. Sealy at Latouche, Alaska, for use in trade. Latouche was a copper mining community on Latouche Island in Prince William Sound, where the Beatson Copper Mine operated from 1904 through the 1920s. The gold-washed finish — a thin layer of gold applied over a base metal — gave this token a premium appearance befitting the "Nugget" designation in its title. Charles E. Sealy operated a trading establishment serving the mining community, and his tokens circulated as local currency among the miners and their families. The Benice catalog documents this among the trade tokens of Alaska's mining communities, where private currency systems were essential to daily commerce in isolated company towns accessible only by water.

Rarity Notes

Gold-washed Alaska trade token. Benice 3A. Latouche mining community issue. Very scarce due to small population served.

Cross References

PCGS #620894; Benice 3A; Charles E. Sealy, Latouche AK Trade Token