1880's Token and Gold Ring(?).

Hobbs.

Full Member
Dec 29, 2019
193
389
On the edge of the Great Basin.
Detector(s) used
E-Trac, Gold Bug II, ATX, GPX-5K, Nox 800.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
My recent detecting good fortune has turned up a Drink Token and a ring. Both were found at a site dating from the early 1870's to the mid 1880's. It took two years to get permission to hunt this site. The ring confuses me a bit because it has some corrosion on it, but it is marked 18K inside the band. Is it common to see corrosion on an 18K ring? I would assume that the copper component is coming into play. Or perhaps it is counterfeit.

Thoughts please...

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DrinkToken REV.jpg
 

Upvote 14
I'm thinking 18k for gold plated maybe. Still an awesome old find. Hard to tell from the pics though.
 

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Can't quite tell if it's plated or not but the design and lettering look very old to me. Nice token too!
 

Nice Token Looks like a Possibility of 80/90's

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Nice finds! I once found a nice "gold" ring that had copper oxidation on it. It was gold plated. Nice token! And thanks "jeff of pa" for the clipping of the Jellerson property! Thanks for posting, Hobbs.!
 

Though Brunswick Pool Tables still Exist ,

The Brunswick & Balk advertised in 1880 and 1882 that i can find

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Brunswick & Balk Advertised on Many Businesses Tokens

Sorry I Can't get the Proper Link to post Brut if you Google Search "Brunswick & Balk Tokens" & Look at Images

You may find a Pic of yours
 

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Yes they did! According to Coins of the Comstock (F. Holabird) this token was produced from 1880-1884. This coincides with the date of the site, so I think it is pretty accurate.
 

John M. Brunswick opened his billiard table manufacturing company in Chicago in 1848. In 1874 he merged with Julius Balke and 10 years later with H.W. Collender to become Brunswick, Balke & Collender. The company also supplied saloon fixtures and other necessities to saloon owners. Their tokens had the name of the manufacturer and a picture of a pool table on one side and the name of the local saloon or billiard parlor with the value amount on the other. For example:

Because your's Doesn't say Collender, Yours is Most Likely an Earlier one :thumbsup:
& your Date 1870's Looks Possible
 

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John M. Brunswick opened his billiard table manufacturing company in Chicago in 1848. In 1874 he merged with Julius Balke and 10 years later with H.W. Collender to become Brunswick, Balke & Collender. The company also supplied saloon fixtures and other necessities to saloon owners. Their tokens had the name of the manufacturer and a picture of a pool table on one side and the name of the local saloon or billiard parlor with the value amount on the other. For example:

Because your's Doesn't say Collender, Yours is Most Likely an Earlier one :thumbsup:
& your Date 1870's Looks Possible
I wonder if the tokens were accepted at different establishments. If Brunswick made tokens for saloons which had their pool tables, would those tokens be accepted at all of the Brunswick pool table saloons, regardless of the proprietor? I don't expect anybody to know, I am thinking out loud...
 

Nice finds! That token is pretty cool. How come it took so long to get permission? I had a site last year that I almost got permission to hunt but after talking to him for a month or so he said he just didn't know me well enough to trust me and was worried about me suing him or something if I fell into a well. He said he might reconsider in two years... pretty frustrating situation but my two years will be up this coming September.
 

I wonder if the tokens were accepted at different establishments. If Brunswick made tokens for saloons which had their pool tables, would those tokens be accepted at all of the Brunswick pool table saloons, regardless of the proprietor? I don't expect anybody to know, I am thinking out loud...

I Doubt it.

(There is a Book on Brunswick Tokens.)index.jpg

But My Belef Places that put in Brunswick Tables were Probably Supplied with The Tokens either for Free or at a discount
simply for co-advertising
 

Awesome finds, Congrats!!! "D"
 

Nice finds! That token is pretty cool. How come it took so long to get permission? I had a site last year that I almost got permission to hunt but after talking to him for a month or so he said he just didn't know me well enough to trust me and was worried about me suing him or something if I fell into a well. He said he might reconsider in two years... pretty frustrating situation but my two years will be up this coming September.
It sounds like you know why it can take a long time to get permission. In this case, there are multiple "owners" who all signed off on the access. it was worth the wait! :thumbsup:
 

I Doubt it.

(There is a Book on Brunswick Tokens.)View attachment 1888624

But My Belef Places that put in Brunswick Tables were Probably Supplied with The Tokens either for Free or at a discount
simply for co-advertising


Thank you for putting in time researching this! It is appreciated!

I am trying to find Catalog of Nevada Trade Tokens (J. Hoddock) but have come up short after running that title on multiple rare/used book sites yesterday.
 

It sounds like you know why it can take a long time to get permission. In this case, there are multiple "owners" who all signed off on the access. it was worth the wait! :thumbsup:
Oh boy... one of those dealios! Those are always tough. The guy I was talking to was a renter, of course I didn't have any problem with the people actually renting the property but it's his land and if he's someone who buys and sells often I doubt he'll have it forever.
 

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