(No Date) Token HT-401R, Philadelphia PA

Coin Details

Description

This undated Bolivar House counterstamp from Philadelphia represents one of the later-cataloged varieties in the extensive Bolivar series. Applied to a circulating coin, the "BOLIVAR" punch identifies the establishment on Chestnut Street that served as hotel, meeting hall, and commercial space throughout the Hard Times era. The Bolivar House counterstamp varieties are distinguished primarily by their host coins. Each different denomination, date, or national origin of the host coin creates a separate catalog entry. This particular variety was cataloged with the "R" suffix, indicating it was discovered after the initial series of Bolivar variants (HT-400 through HT-401) had been documented in earlier editions of the Rulau reference. Philadelphia's Chestnut Street was the city's premier commercial and entertainment boulevard, lined with theaters, hotels, shops, and public buildings. The Bolivar House's location on this thoroughfare ensured maximum exposure for its counterstamped advertising tokens, which would have circulated among the street's heavy foot traffic of theatergoers, shoppers, and business travelers.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Late-cataloged Bolivar counterstamp variant on undated host coin.

Cross References

Rulau HT-401R