E & W.P.T. CO 1896.....INFO?

[LONE GUNMAN]

E & W.P.T. CO 1896.....INFO?

I FOUND THIS TOKEN IN THE SEMI GHOST TOWN OF CHERRY CREEK NEVADA LAST YR....ON ONE SIDE IT SAYS E.&W.P.T.CO 1896, ON THE OTHER SIDE IT SAYS...GOOD FOR SUPPLIES 12 1/2 CENTS...USING THE CENT SYMBOL...IT APPEARS TO BE MADE OUT OF COPPER OR SOME OTHER LIGHT ALLOY AND IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A NICKLE, WITH THE WIDTH OF A PENNY.....HERE IS A PIC OF THE COIN AND A DRAWING OF THE BASIC LAYOUT...ANY INFO WOULD BE GREAT.
HAPPY HUNTING
LGP

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[Burdie]

Re: E & W.P.T. CO 1896.....INFO?

looks like a neat token. Sorry I can't help you lone gunman. Burdie

 

[PBK]

Re: E & W.P.T. CO 1896.....INFO?

Nice find! Ely & White Pine Trading Co. of Ely, Nevada. There are also 25? and 50? tokens. All denominations are fairly rare.

Source: Rulau's Standard Catalog of United States Tokens, 1700-1900

However, updating after TheCannonballGuy's post, it sounds as if our sources need to be reconciled. His definitely provides far more detail, which would seem to favor it. On the other hand, it sounds a little more likely for a trading company to offer "supplies" than a transportation company (stagecoach line).

Interestingly, in his attribution Rulau (my source) actually cites Holabird (TheCannonballGuy's source).

Either way, it's a super token!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Re: E & W.P.T. CO 1896.....INFO?

Gee, haven't you learned yet that very often all ya need to do is a simple Internet web-search? ;-)

I typed "E & W. P. T. Co" (note the quote-marks) into my web-browser's Search function ...and ...presto!
http://www.holabird.org/americana2002/archive/Auction11/churchill.htm

Take a look at what the info for Auction Lot #955 says. (An auction "Lot" is two or more items.) I'll cut-and-paste it for you, below. Please pay particular attention the very last words in its text ...but remember, that's the estimated value of the LOT (the two items together).

Regards,
TheCannonballGuy (Pete George)

955. Elko & White Pine Transportation Co. (Stage Coach line). Two pieces from the Elko & White Pine Transportation Co. A) 2.5 x 4? pass from 1896 in the identical style of a railroad pass signed by B. F. Miller, dated 1896. The card shows the company officers ? A. C. Cleveland president , J.B. Williamson vice president, W.N. McGill secretary, and B.F. Miller general manager. The date of 1896 is in large numerals as underprint in the center of the card. This is pass No. 19. The second piece is a 29mm brass trade token E. & W. P. T. Co./ 1896// GF/ 50c/ supplies. Uncleaned and dirty. Stage coach passes and tokens from Nevada and the west in general are very rare. I don?t think there is another stage token from either California or Nevada, but there are auto stage tokens, which are rare. The route used by the Elko-White Pine T. Co. paralleled the Elko-Hamilton stage road. The route got its start in 1868 when Len Wines & Co. and Hill Beachy ran competing stage lines from the White Pine district (Hamilton and Treasure City) to Elko. When they started up, Jackson wrote in Treasure Hill that it was mostly an exodus, as prospectors were leaving in droves without success. The railroad at Elko had just been completed and the route was the most beneficial for travelers. With the demise of Treasure Hill, the stage route went into general disrepair, probably from lack of use and erosion. Cleveland?s company rekindled the route when new mining interests began to reassess the Hamilton-Treasure Hill region and mining began once again. British investors had been keen on Treasure Hill since the 1860?s and were again active. Their investments had resulted in a perseverance and mining success at Treasure Hill that many American mining men had to learn a lesson from. The Company lasted through about 1897. Est. $500-1000

 

[LONE GUNMAN]

Re: E & W.P.T. CO 1896.....INFO?

WOW.....I DO BELIEVE IT IS A STORE TOKEN AND NOT A TRANSPORTATION TOKEN.....DO YOU HAVE THE VALUE ON THAT?
THANKS FOR THE INPUT GUYS,
AND NEXT TIME I WILL PUT QUOTES IN MY SEARCH.
LGP

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Re: E & W.P.T. CO 1896.....INFO?

Lone Gunman wrote:
"I DO BELIEVE IT IS A STORE TOKEN AND NOT A TRANSPORTATION TOKEN"

Lone, did you not note that the second E&W.P.T.Co-marked item in the auction is a STORE token? (Not a transportation token.) The token for sale at the auction is marked "g/f [good for] supplies" ....and as PBK noted, that doesn't sound like it's for transportation. I think it is the 50-cent version token mentioned by PBK.

To PBK:
I think I've come up with an answer (actually, an interpretation) that "reconciles" your info-source (Rulau) and the one I posted (Holabird). After you read the following, let me know if you agree.

I think the fact that the two auction-items are described together in the one single (very long) paragraph on the auction-house website amkes it very easy for a reader to INCORRECTLY assume that the TRANSPORTATION company issued BOTH of the items. (Note that's what Lone Gunman seems to have assumed.)

But a careful reading of the auction-house's description reveals that it doesn't actually say that the "E. & W.P.T. Co." on the token means the same thing as what's on the pass-card (Elko & White Pine Transportation Co.). But a casual reader would assume it meant that, because of the rather careless way the auction-description is written ...and also, by the way, by "linking" the two items together into a single auction-lot.

Regards,
TheCannonballGuy (Pete George)

 

[PBK]

Re: E & W.P.T. CO 1896.....INFO?

Pete, I'd say it's not only plausible but extremely probable ? and understandable? that someone made just such a leap of assumption. After all, the initials are identical. Quoting from the auction listing... " Two pieces from the Elko & White Pine Transportation Co." That's pretty straightforward, as is, "Stage coach passes and tokens from Nevada and the West in general are very rare. I don?t think there is another [my italics] stage token from either California or Nevada, but there are auto stage tokens, which are rare."

 

[Jeffro]

Re: E & W.P.T. CO 1896.....INFO?

Either way darn nice find Lone! Betcha didn't know what ya had....

Look forward to next week's outing, I have a nice church site lined up.... hopefully. still checking......

 

[Klaatu]

Re: E & W.P.T. CO 1896.....INFO?

Congrats on finding the interesting and potentially valuable token.

The 12 1/2? denomination is interesting - one bit. 2 bits is 25?. 8 bits is $1. Remember the old football cheer - "2 bit. 4 bits. 6 bits. A dollar."?

 

[LONE GUNMAN]

Re: E & W.P.T. CO 1896.....INFO?

no jeffro i didnt know what i had.....was putting away a 1919s penny that i found the other day and remembered it....figured what the hell someone will know what it is.....lmk when we are going out next week.....drop me a line or call.
thanks for all the input guys
lgp