good for 5 cents in trade token P.R.Y

[grogmug]

I was metal detecting along a creek in Kentucky and found a token that said good for 5 cents in trade and on the back it says P.R.Y or P.R. and another letter. I can't really make out what it is. Can someone please identify where and when the token is from? Thank you in advance. I'm trying to get the picture to work..I tried google images but can't find anything on it.

 

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[idahotokens]

You have a piece that may well be impossible to positively attribute. After you figure out the last initial, then the search can begin in earnest, using business directories, Census images, etc. for the region where it was found. It was probably issued by a saloon owned by someone with those initials. ca. 1890-1910.

In order to determine the last initial, try looking at it with a good magnifier while directing light at it from various directions and at a low angle to emphasize the shadows.

Let us know what you determine and in what county you found it.

John in the Great 208

 

[grogmug]

You have a piece that may well be impossible to positively attribute. After you figure out the last initial, then the search can begin in earnest, using business directories, Census images, etc. for the region where it was found. It was probably issued by a saloon owned by someone with those initials. ca. 1890-1910.

In order to determine the last initial, try looking at it with a good magnifier while directing light at it from various directions and at a low angle to emphasize the shadows.

Let us know what you determine and in what county you found it.

John in the Great 208

After cleaning it up a bit (very carefully), it does say P.R.Y on the back and "GOOD FOR 5 CENTS IN TRADE AT THE BAR" on the front. It was found in Crestwood, KY in the middle of a creek. A very odd place to find it, but it really intrigues me to figure out EXACTLY where it came from and just how old it is. I was hoping it was Civil War era. Thanks in advance if you have any additional information.

 

[grogmug]

I was thinking P.R.Y bar as the name, which sounds pretty cool but I guess this is the persons initials? How do you find out what time period and where its from? I'm dying to know!

 

[Bryanhashemi]

Those initials are probably the bar name. heres some examples. I would think around early 1900's

 

[idahotokens]

The reason I say ca. 1890-1910 is that I have seen many tokens of this style and that is the date range they fall in. If you go to TokenCatalog.com there are photos of many, both attributed and unknown, that you can find that match the style of this one. The mechanism to search for them isn't easy to use, but I would start with the reverse description, using the same format as in the database (i.e. / between lines, ¢ instead of cents if that is how it is on the token) and search for that exact phrase with imaged only entries. You will get a lot of pages of results. While you are there, post yours so other eyes can look at it.

As far as how to find old P.R.Y - I did a quick look at the 1900 Census for Oldham County and saw nobody with those initials. Of course it is entirely possible that somebody brought this token there from Louisville (or another place), figured out he wasn't going back to redeem it, and ditched it in the creek. Another possibility is that P.R.Y. closed his saloon and dumped the tokens he had on hand into the creek. If only this one could talk...

I looked in the 1900 Louisville City Directory classified section and didn't see anybody with those initials in the saloon part. Then I went to the "Y" section of the alpha listing and may have gotten a clue. There is a Philip R. Young shown as a solicitor (salesman) for the Frank Fehr Brewing Co. He is also shown that way in the 1894 & 1904 CDs. It will take more time to check through all the CDs, but I theorize that in his work as a salesman for the brewery, he may have found out about a saloon that was for sale at a good price, bought it and ran it for a while, perhaps as a side job, and had the tokens made for it.

John in the Great 208

 

[Bramblefind]

I looked in the 1900 Louisville City Directory classified section and didn't see anybody with those initials in the saloon part. Then I went to the "Y" section of the alpha listing and may have gotten a clue. There is a Philip R. Young shown as a solicitor (salesman) for the Frank Fehr Brewing Co. He is also shown that way in the 1894 & 1904 CDs. It will take more time to check through all the CDs, but I theorize that in his work as a salesman for the brewery, he may have found out about a saloon that was for sale at a good price, bought it and ran it for a while, perhaps as a side job, and had the tokens made for it.

John in the Great 208

This might be it ... I used your research and found him listed in the 1893 Louisville directory as having a saloon on 2001 W. Market.

 

[grogmug]

This might be it ... I used your research and found him listed in the 1893 Louisville directory as having a saloon on 2001 W. Market.

I REALLY appreciate your research guys. This is actually pretty cool, Crestwood is about 30 mins from downtown Louisville. I wonder if the saloon or the building is still in the same location in Louisville, KY. I wonder if we can figure out if it is, and I will go down and take pictures of it with the coin/token in hand. Thanks again!

 

[idahotokens]

Bramblefind - great! IF, and that's a big IF, those initials stand for this fellow, I bet you've nailed it. Since it was found fairly close to Louisville, the chances are better than 50-50 IMO. If you go to Google StreetView, there are buildings on all four corners of 20th & Market that look like they date from then.

grogmug - do post pics of both sides plus the directory listing on TokenCatalog.com - or send me good pics of both sides and I'll do it.

John in the Great 208

 

[Davo]

It looks a lot like a W in the picture. Are you sure about the Y?