Found: 1868 Pye Clothier Token, Cincinnati

[OhioTrevor]

After a 36 year hiatus, I got back into detecting over the holidays. Yesterday I turned up this interesting find: A (slightly damaged) silver dollar-size, trade token, uncovered in Camp Dennison, Ohio. It's by PYE Clothier, "Clothing Hats and Furs, 5th & Vine Streets, Cinti." It's made of gilt brass. Thanks to the Stacks Bowers Galleries web site, I am able to post a picture of my find side-by-side with a better version of the token. Great way to get back into the hobby and thought I would share!

Anyone know what these tokens/coins were for? Were they purely promotional?

 

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[Mike K "Ohio"]

Congrats Great Digs! I use to live really close to Camp Dennison.... How did it ring up on the NOX? 20s?

Mike K

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Very cool token recovery, congrats!

 

[danloop]

I found a listing for Pye Josian. R. hats and clothing, 82 West 5th and 91 East 4th streets.

https://digital.cincinnatilibrary.org/digital/collection/p16998coll5/id/140481

 

[Coinboy]

Love those trade tokens awesome piece of history

 

[OhioTrevor]

Thank you. Yes, 23. Clear as a bell. Was nearly a surface find. Very shallow.

 

[OhioTrevor]

Thanks Danloop

Danloop, That has to be him! Wow. Thanks for investigating that for me. I found something else that may be of interest based on the lead you gave me. Josiah R. Pye of New York married Julia Anne Swope. In a History of the Swope Family and Their Connections, 1678-1896, Josiah is cited as the founder of the Cincinnati Humane Society and for many years managed the Brooklyn Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. If the same person, its an interesting turn of events for someone in the fur business.

http://books.google.com/books?id=9StWAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA339&lpg=PA339&dq=Josiah+R+Pye,+cincinnati&source=bl&ots=rPCvGlQLat&sig=ACfU3U0h6hMkchXxKyr7hp4yXgY8NV3hEw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjbs_6uyfzmAhVMa80KHXjwCcsQ6AEwAXoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=Josiah%20R%20Pye%2C%20cincinnati&f=false

 

[A2coins]

Sweet find I l;ove tokens I used to live all over Cinci even near vine street over the Rhine awesome token

 

[A2coins]

Welcome to tnet from MI Tommy