No Date Token TC-467491 Brass John Wanamaker NY

Coin Details

Description

This undated brass trade token, cataloged as TC-467491, was issued by John Wanamaker of New York. John Wanamaker was the founder of one of America's first and most successful department store chains, opening his first store in Philadelphia in 1861 and expanding to New York in 1896. Wanamaker was a retail pioneer who introduced fixed pricing, money-back guarantees, and the first department store restaurant. His stores issued various tokens and promotional pieces over the decades as part of their marketing programs. This New York-attributed token dates from the early twentieth century when the Wanamaker's New York store in the former A.T. Stewart building on Broadway was one of the city's premier shopping destinations. Private token production in America has served multiple functions throughout history, from providing small change during periods of coin shortage to advertising businesses and facilitating commercial transactions. Wanamaker tokens are collected as artifacts of American retail history.

Rarity Notes

Department store token, TC-467491. Brass. John Wanamaker, New York. Famous retail pioneer. Collected as retail history artifact.

Cross References

PCGS #901771; TC-467491; John Wanamaker, NY