✅ SOLVED License Tag

[phintar]

This tag was found the other day and the only thing I find out about it is that it might be a slot machine license tag, but Im not sure about that... Does anyone know anything about this tag? On the front it says
"License
174
APR MAY JUNE
1897"

On the back is says something on top that looks like JC Irvine & CO then an address of 339 Kearny St. SF

 

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[gerryk]

Where about did you find it? Was there anying else ithe area that you found?

 

[phintar]

I found it in Amador County CA and after going up the road a bit from that spot, I found an old 1920's toy car that was in really rough shape and broken in half... Other then that, I didn't really find much else in the area.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

The company that made the license tag is listed in the 1896 Annual Report of the Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco. Cool find. Annual Report of the Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco - San Francisco Chamber of Commerce - Google Books

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Guess what? The company is still in business. I suggest to write to them. Irvine & Jachens, Inc. Badge Manufacturer

 

[Breezie]

Evidently JC Irvine & Co. made metal tags, metal tokens as well as ink pads and numbering machines.




http://books.google.com/books?id=UV...0CDgQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=JC Irvine & CO&f=true

Here are some tokens:

http://tokencatalog.com/token_recor...84000&attribution_id=222507&td_create_uid=552



http://tokencatalog.com/token_recor...=252180&attribution_id=295667&td_create_uid=2

Breezie

 

[phintar]

Really cool info! Thanks to you all!

 

[nhbenz]

I presume you'd found this link, suggesting the slot machine connection? San Francisco,CA - 1897 - Slot Machine Tag :
It would appear to have some value!

 

[Breezie]

I presume you'd found this link, suggesting the slot machine connection? San Francisco,CA - 1897 - Slot Machine Tag :
It would appear to have some value!

Benz, If so, it would have saved some searching on our part. Breezie

 

[phintar]

No I was told by an old friend of mine that he had thought that, but that looks just like it and confirms his thoughts! Cool link, thank you!

 

[nhbenz]

Glad to help. Welcome to TreasureNet! Sorry about my above presumption... I guess I got lucky with my first search and figured that's where that idea must have come from. But it seems pretty definitive, given the book reference.
(This wouldn't have gone as smoothly if BigCy and Breezie hadn't essentially determined that Irvine was the maker, not the user, of the tag)
I like yours, showing its age, rather than the one in the link which looks like it could have been made yesterday. (I woudn't clean it at all).

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I presume you'd found this link, suggesting the slot machine connection? San Francisco,CA - 1897 - Slot Machine Tag :
It would appear to have some value!

great work nhbenz. I dont know if the pic is copyrighted but Im posting it here for future record in case the link is lost.

Quarterly licensed #1123 for April, May, and June 1897 slot machine tag. During 1894-1909 slots, which theoretically paid out in cigars or liquor, were licensed quarterly providing significant revenue for the city, although in many instances machines operated without a tag.

green check please

 

[Breezie]

No I was told by an old friend of mine that he had thought that, but that looks just like it and confirms his thoughts! Cool link, thank you!

 

[cudamark]

Wow! Same year and months as each other.....what are the odds?