Civil War Merchant Token - W. Darling Saranac, MI

Features

Location United States
Type Unclassified exonumia › Miscellaneous token
Year 1864
Currency Civil War Tokens
Composition Copper
Shape Round
Demonetized Yes
Number
N#
121700
References Fuld# 865A-2a
George Fuld, Melvin Fuld, John Ostendorf; 2014. U.S. Civil War Store Cards (3rd edition). Quarterman Publications, Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Obverse

Script: Latin

Lettering: W. DARLING SARANAC MICH 1864

Reverse

Boot in Wreath

Comments

1864 W. Darling, Saranac, MI, F-865A-2a, R.9, Located in Ionia county, Saranac was situated on the Grand river and was served by the Detroit and Milwaukee railroad. The village is located 133 miles northwest of Detroit. Saranac was platted in 1836 and a post office was established there in 1839. However, the village was little more than a crossroads for the first decade.
Civil War tokens from Saranac are great rarities, not only in the Michigan version, but in the entire field of Civil War store cards. Less than 10 examples survive from a single merchant, but perhaps surprisingly, from multiple die varieties. Opportunities to bid on a single Saranac token seldom occur, and the chance to bid on more than one of these tokens in a single sale is, perhaps, unprecedented.
This remarkable Mint State piece has a few splashes of original orange color with smooth olive and chocolate-brown surfaces. There is little remaining cartwheel luster although the surfaces are exceptionally pleasing. A single small mark is evident at the central obverse. When Cliff Temple purchased this token in 1947, he paid 10 dollars, a remarkable sum for a single token at a time, when most tokens cost him only a few cents.
Purchased from J. Barnet (5/3/1947) for $10.00.

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Date VG F VF XF AU UNC
1864  R9

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This index is based on the data of Numista members collections. It ranges from 0 to 100, 0 meaning a very common coin or banknote and 100 meaning a rare coin or banknote among Numista members.

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