No Date Token Miller NY-276 Brass E.P. Furlong

Coin Details

Description

E.P. Furlong sold "St. Patrick's Salve," a patent medicine preparation, in New York City. Patent medicines were a major American industry in the mid-nineteenth century, with hundreds of proprietary preparations advertised through newspaper ads, handbills, and tokens. Furlong's undated brass token (Miller NY-276) advertised his medicinal product and circulated as small change during periods when federal minor coins were scarce. The use of a saint's name for the product reflects the common marketing practice of invoking religious or quasi-medical authority to promote proprietary remedies. The brass composition gave this token an attractive golden hue that distinguished it from copper coinage. Brass planchets were slightly more expensive than copper but produced a more visually striking advertising piece. Cataloged as Miller NY-276. Tokens of this type are collected both as numismatic objects and as historical documents of 19th century American business.

Rarity Notes

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

Cross References

Miller NY-276