✅ SOLVED Luggage tag? Civil war battle area

[Cold Digger]

Has Drayage Burnette Hendrix &Co and 25 on one side and T. W. Morehouse J City, NJ on the other. Found near civil war minne ball.

 

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[Bramblefind]

I think that is a rare trade token from Memphis, TN. Here are a couple references:

American Numismatic Society: Brass Token, United States, 1870 - 1889. 0000.999.57366


https://archive.org/stream/tokenmedalauctio1981pres_e4t7/tokenmedalauctio1981pres_e4t7_djvu.txt

(go to lot 1618)

The ANS dates this token 1870-1889 but I wonder if it could be earlier. I don't know what references they used to date it but I found an ad in the June 23, 1860 Memphis Daily Avalanche that has an ad for Burnett Hendrix & Walker Wholesale Grocers. Walker may be the "& Co." on the token or the firm may have been in a different form. But I don't think you can rule out this being Civil War era - at least not unless there is more info out there to show otherwise.

Maybe contact an expert - I think Steve Hayden would be a good place to try-

civilwartokens.com

 

[idahotokens]

I think Bramble is correct. Memphis, for some reason, had a number of businesses that used dray tokens, all about the same era. The reverse counterstamp is interesting - my first thought is counterstamp, anyway, but it could be the maker's mark. I'll do a little research into both options. I'll also run this by the TN token cataloger and a collector in Memphis who I know who is interested in Memphis dray tokens. Please post cropped pics on tokencatalog.com or I can do that with your permission. By the way, a dray token is used to pay the person who hauls goods. Probably in this case, the end customer buys a load of goods, and either the token for free or for the set price for delivery from the merchant, then goes home. When the delivery is completed the drayman gets the token from the customer. At the end of the day, the drayman turns in his tokens and receives money from the merchant. That way, the drayman isn't required to handle money.

John in the Great 208

 

[ohiowhiteguy]

nice find..i love it when things have writing on them.
it makes it personal.
hh.
OWG...

 

[Bramblefind]

I think Bramble is correct. Memphis, for some reason, had a number of businesses that used dray tokens, all about the same era. The reverse counterstamp is interesting - my first thought is counterstamp, anyway, but it could be the maker's mark. I'll do a little research into both options. I'll also run this by the TN token cataloger and a collector in Memphis who I know who is interested in Memphis dray tokens. Please post cropped pics on tokencatalog.com or I can do that with your permission. By the way, a dray token is used to pay the person who hauls goods. Probably in this case, the end customer buys a load of goods, and either the token for free or for the set price for delivery from the merchant, then goes home. When the delivery is completed the drayman gets the token from the customer. At the end of the day, the drayman turns in his tokens and receives money from the merchant. That way, the drayman isn't required to handle money.

John in the Great 208

Thanks John - good info I looked into T.W. Morehouse in Jersey City and perhaps there is another later but an interesting reference is Thomas W. Morehouse. He died of small pox in 1856 but his widow may have continued on his business - she is listed in the 1861 directory as his widow (Ann M.) and employed in "Stoves".

Here is an ad from the April 7, 1856 Daily Telegraph in Jersey City. Thomas W. Morehouse died in Sept 1856.

 

[Bramblefind]

Aha - here is additional info about the T.W. Morehouse tags -

Baggage Check Makers n Daters

 

[idahotokens]

Super info Bramblefind!
John

Aha - here is additional info about the T.W. Morehouse tags -

Baggage Check Makers n Daters

 

[Cold Digger]

Many thanks guys! John you can post them there if you like. Just to give you guys a little background on the area. It's in Louisiana about 30 feet from a stage coach road (used heavily by soldiers of both sides during the Red River Campaign). I have found about 40 cw bullets in the same area (soldiers camped here and retreated in the middle of the night). This is also about 100 yards from a cemetery and camp meeting location with a spring. I'm sure there are a large number of ways it could have got there. I just cleaned it with water and a very soft tooth brush. Thanks again for the help and please let me know if you find anything else out!

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

A drayage token is real cool to me as I am a trucker.

 

[idahotokens]

DRAYAGE / 25. / BURNETT HENDRIX & CO. (all incuse) (TC-477876) Memphis, Tennessee (Shelby County), U.S.A.