1899 WASH TOKEN!!!!!! Only 100,000 made!

[coolcash2004]

Oh My God!!!! Found one of my oldest finds today! An 1899 wash token, burried 11 inches down beneath roots right next to a big old tree in my back yard! I never thought to hunt here before, but today I did! After letting it sit in hot water for 20 minuts I gave it a little scrub and read the details. It is the size of a half dollar.

Ovberse: (portrait of a man) "______ George Dewey"

Reverse: "Wash cloths
with
Kirkmans
Bor____Oar
Best of All
1899



PLEASE HELP ME OUT HERE! I am so excited right now, anyone know what this token is? A wash token, but I would love to find out specifics. I live in CT. Any one know its value?

Pictures dont do it justice!

Thanks for looking!

-CC

 

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[PBK]

Re: 1899 WASH TOKEN!!!!!! Help ID 1 ft down!

Way to go, CC!

It's an advertising token for Kirkman's Borax Soap. There are reportedly four varieties, with a total of 100,000 issued. The tokens, which were given out with bars of soap, were struck by Whitehead & Hoag of Newark, NJ. Admiral George Dewey was a hero of the Spanish-American War and enjoyed "superstar" status for years afterward. As a result, his image was a popular promotional icon. The 1899 token lists for $10-15 in Fine to Very Fine condition. I'm posting this one to show some of the details.

​

Photo courtesy of Rich Hartzog - World Exonumia - www.exonumia.com​

 

[bookfisher]

Re: 1899 WASH TOKEN!!!!!! Help ID 1 ft down!

Great Find! Keep it Up!

 

[Montana Jim]

Re: 1899 WASH TOKEN!!!!!! Help ID 1 ft down!

Cool... thats a fun find, and a pertt dern good ID.

 

[goldencoin]

Re: 1899 WASH TOKEN!!!!!! Help ID 1 ft down!

dang CC, your on a roll! look fer more of them!

HH
-GC

 

[hollowpointred]

Re: 1899 WASH TOKEN!!!!!! Help ID 1 ft down!

man! how cool is that! awesome find!

 

[coolcash2004]

Re: 1899 WASH TOKEN!!!!!! Help ID 1 ft down!

Thanks everyone! Thanks PBK!!!

-CC

 

[DANGLANGLEY]

Very rare find you got. Congrats!!!

 

[coolcash2004]

Thanks!

-CC

 

[SilverDreams]

Cool token!

 

[Ridley]

Nice token!

I don't know how many times I've given up a fight with roots and walked away.

That token was worth it!

Congratulations.


Ridley

 

[ruck]

Why did they always punch holes in coins back then, as if to wear them as A neclace? Ruck

 

[PBK]

Why did they always punch holes in coins back then, as if to wear them as A neclace? Ruck

In this case, I believe that the token was holed by the manufacturer, so that it could be attached with wire or string to the product. It was a fairly common practice in the late 19th and early 20th century.

 

[cuddles17981]

Awesome find indeed! Yesturday I got a reading buy a huge tree in my inlaws yard and it was on the edge of the thick root. I tried for a little to dig but walked away.. Still eating at me.. Guess I better get back at it..

 

[Boobydoo]

"Best Of All, 1899" yeah, that's an unstatement.
Great find CC!! Congrats on the awesome token!

Smiles!
BDoo

 

[nealb]

Awesome find CC!! Rare at that.

HH

 

[coolcash2004]

Thanks everyone!

This is deffinatly on my favorite finds list.

HH!

-CC

 

[Texas Gal]

Neat token and still readable after all those years! Good find!

Marcia

 

[Natman]

Very cool token..and neat to find out more about its origins with the help of fellow MDers!

Nat