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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;cwtokenman, post: 516139, member: 2100&quot;]The answers given above are certainly possibilities, but that is not what came to my mind when I read your question. I may be way out of the ball park, especially in light of the years you mentioned, but I will describe another possibility. From Rulau&#039;s Standard Catalog: Shell Store Cards, or Embossed Store Cards were made by a process quite unlike striking from dies or casting from molds. The design is pressed outward on thin metal sheets. The result is a beautiful, yet fragile product. In the U.S.A., in 1867-1876 embossed or shell cards were a brief phenomenon, and almost all of them were imitations of $20 gold pieces or Liberty Seated dollars. </p><p><br /></p><p>Some of the cards used two shells joined at the edge, but the better part of them used a single shell filled with sturdy cardboard on which an advertisement was printed. A few used mirrors as reverses.</p><p><br /></p><p>None of these cards are common, except perhaps those of Udolpho Wolfe of New York or Howe Scales of Vermont. The commonest pieces retail at $100 and up. Most are rare, many are unique. Perfect uncirculated specimens with original (golden) gilding or silver-gilt intact command extraordinary prices on today&#039;s market. Valuations for the rarer ones can range from $1500 to $5000.</p><p><br /></p><p>There was a fairly competent catalog which appeared in the TAMS Journal in 1961-1962, originally authored by Rulau and Ralph Mitchell.</p><p><br /></p><p>Shell type tokens have also been made since the time frame that Rulau mentions, but the more modern ones are not as valuable.</p><p><br /></p><p>A few examples are currently offered on ebay if interested in viewing any.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://desc.shop.ebay.com/items/Exonumia__shell_W0QQLHQ5fTitleDescZ1QQQQ_catrefZ1QQ_flnZ1QQ_mdoZCoinsQ2dPaperQ2dMoneyQQ_sacatZ3452QQ_sopZ12QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em282?_trksid=p3286.c0.m282" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://desc.shop.ebay.com/items/Exonumia__shell_W0QQLHQ5fTitleDescZ1QQQQ_catrefZ1QQ_flnZ1QQ_mdoZCoinsQ2dPaperQ2dMoneyQQ_sacatZ3452QQ_sopZ12QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em282?_trksid=p3286.c0.m282" rel="nofollow">http://desc.shop.ebay.com/items/Exonumia__shell_W0QQLHQ5fTitleDescZ1QQQQ_catrefZ1QQ_flnZ1QQ_mdoZCoinsQ2dPaperQ2dMoneyQQ_sacatZ3452QQ_sopZ12QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em282?_trksid=p3286.c0.m282</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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