One of our members wanted to see some P.T. Barnum tokens. He was a great showman and basically an honest man. He was just the 19th century king of the "humbug!" Oddly enough he had his tokens made in England, not the U.S. This was Barnum's museum building in New York. Confederate spys tried to set it on fire. They didn't burn it down, but it did burn a short time later. "Col. Tom Thumb," whose real name was Charles Stratton, was Barnum's must successful attraction. Stratton has some real talents as comedian and impersonator. It was a mutually beneficial relationship. Both of them made a lot of money. Here is Tom Thumb and Queen Victoria. They did meet when Barnum took his show to England. Tom Thumb and a copy of the Capped Bust design. And the best Tom Thumb token with his coach on the reverse.
Cool tokens John, I have always kept my eye out for them, I haven't seen many, most that you do see are heavily worn/damaged.
Very nice rare ones up there John always a treat to see your rarities, on your 3rd token down, my top one has the same die crack as yours, small world! My bottom token used lady liberty with a different reverse, I wonder if that makes it a mule?
PT Barnum wanted to winter quarter his circus in my hometown of Port Jefferson NY. He even had a beautiful home built. The locals chased him out and he went across LI Sound to Bridgeport CT.
Interesting. Somewhere in my metal detecting finds I have a "Chang the Chinese Giant" PT Barnum token. Corroded and holed as I remember.
