United States (St. Louis, MO): 1850 copper merchant token, Fitzgibbon Daguerreotype Gallery

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by lordmarcovan, Sep 19, 2026 at 4:30 AM.

  1. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic numismatist Moderator

    United States (St. Louis, MO): 1850 copper merchant token, Fitzgibbon Daguerreotype Gallery

    NGC MS64 BN. Cert. #4750640-004.

    This token is apparently unlisted in the Numista database, though similar to Numista-230011. That variety is Miller #Mo-22 (gilt brass with reeded edge). This variety is Miller #Mo-21 (copper with plain edge).

    Obverse:
    FITZGIBBON DAGUERREOTYPE * GALLERY * [eagle design]

    Reverse:
    OVER D. NICHOLSONS GROCERY STORE . 1850 .
    No1
    4TH STREET
    ST LOUIS
    Mo.

    The side with the eagle (and Fitzgibbon's name) is technically the obverse, though NGC encapsulated it with that side facing the back of the slab.

    Ex-Northeast Numismatics, 20 August 2026, as part of a 5-coin swap deal.

    This is a handsome antebellum merchant token with a heraldic eagle similar to the one featured on the gold coins of the era, as well as on other tokens. This type is 27.4 mm, which makes it slightly larger than a quarter and slightly smaller than a half dollar. It is in fact the same diameter as the large cents of the time.

    Regarding the issuer, and quoting the missouriartists.org webpage:

    "John H. Fitzgibbon was a pioneering photographer in St. Louis, Missouri, opening the city’s second gallery showing daguerreotypes in 1846. He was best known for his studio portraits and photographs of scenes of regional life in the territories west of the Mississippi River. Fitzgibbon was well known in photography circles because of his extensive writing and technical innovations."

    I found this token charming for its attractively iridescent toning and the handsome eagle. Its association with an early photographer also appealed to me, as I've long been fascinated with the "time capsule" aspect of early photographs- daguerreotypes in particular. Were my limited budget and attention span not exclusively focused on coins, I could perhaps have been tempted to collect those.

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    033740
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2026 at 6:32 AM
    lordmarcovan, Sep 19, 2026 at 4:30 AM
    #1
    Mr.Q, Randy Abercrombie, BuffaloHunter and 7 others like this.
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  3. Dafydd

    Dafydd Supporter! Supporter

    Fabulous token @lordmarcovan . Are they purely advertising? Tokens over here were used to supplement a shortage of coinage. I'm writing up two of mine that arrived this week, one currency and the other a souvenir which I reckon you will like when you see it when I consider some of your other posts.
     
    Dafydd, Sep 19, 2026 at 7:21 AM
    #2
    Mr. Numismatist likes this.
  4. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic numismatist Moderator

    Good question. I’m not sure. However, given that this piece and others from the 1850s were large cent sized, and many are in circulated condition today, I would be surprised if they hadn’t been used in commerce as small change at the time.
     
    lordmarcovan, Sep 19, 2026 at 8:17 AM
    #3
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  5. Mr. Numismatist

    Mr. Numismatist Strawberry Token Enthusiast

    Being from the 1850's it probably was used for small change. That practice came to an end towards the turn of the century. I believe it became illegal around 1909 to issue a token used like "real money" with a face value under $1.00. You might have seen some wage tokens (mining/lumber/picker) that say "not transferable".
     
    Mr. Numismatist, Sep 19, 2026 at 9:08 AM
    #4
  6. Tall Paul

    Tall Paul Supporter! Supporter

    I believe that tokens meant to be used in commerce had a value of one cent minted on them. Tokens from across the pond would have the words payable at a business or a city minted on the token's edge.
     
    Tall Paul, Sep 19, 2026 at 10:11 AM
    #5
    Mr. Numismatist likes this.
  7. The Meat man

    The Meat man Supporter! Supporter

    Very cool token!
     
    The Meat man, Sep 19, 2026 at 10:14 AM
    #6
  8. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

    Fun Token and great read LM!
     
    Pickin and Grinin, Sep 19, 2026 at 10:16 AM
    #7
  9. Mr. Numismatist

    Mr. Numismatist Strawberry Token Enthusiast

    It may have been used as money during the civil war even if not originally meant for that purpose. I'm not any kind of authority on the subject though.
     
    Mr. Numismatist, Sep 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM
    #8

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