1880's Saloon Token

[Corvid]

Did some door knocking in the Cincinnati region today. At one of the older homes, I found this beautiful token. Found the following information online regarding it:

John Rolfs is listed as a saloon & barkeeper in the 1880 census. He was born about 1847 in Prussia. Gaylor Lipscomb in "Ohio Merchant Tokens" has written that Murdock was at the 165 Rice street address from 1875 to 1887. NOTE: Lipscomb (1944:2nd ed., p. 544) lists Price Hill as a separate town even though, as he says, it is part of Cincinnati.

Enjoy!

 

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[WaterScoop]

What an amazingly gorgeous token.

Great find! CONGRATULATIONS!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Love those octagon tokens. And great provenance research !

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Sweet find, congratulations!

 

[Truth]

I love that token

 

[cambria09]

Hello Corvid. Congratulations on finding that. Great shape, beautiful condition, cool content, and interesting history...just everything you wanna to see in a toke.

Thanks for posting it and Good Luck out there. C9

 

[against the wind]

Wow,, not used to seeing an Eagle like that on a token.
Very nice save.
Congratulations

 

[Coil-2-Soil]

Great token and in good condition. Great history with it. Congrats!

 

[Mackaydon]

Some history:
John Rolfs later (1889) operated a saloon at the
northwest comer of 8th and Matson Place on Price
HUl. Price Hill House was at the head of the Price
HiU Inclined Plane.
A special feature of transportation in the Queen
City was the system of inclined plane railways
connecting the river-level basin of Cincinnati’s heart
with the residential and resort areas atop her hills
to the east, north and west. These came into being
starting in 1872 and the last of them was closed
in 1940. Price Hill Inclined Plane. Opened 1875; electrified
1928; closed 1940.
Don.......
Source (page 52) https://archive.org/stream/tamsjournal14n2toke/tamsjournal14n2toke_djvu.txt

 

[thrifty76now]

Mackaydon, I remember the ride up and down the Price hill incline we used to purchase a Sunday pass for the street railway and ride all day long in Cincinnati

 

[Carolina Tom]

That's a sweet token. I especially like the eagle, most are rather plain, whereas yours is quite ornate.

Well done sir!

 

[Mackaydon]

Thrifty76now,
If you remember riding the Price Hill incline before it closed in 1940,then you are at least one year older than I.
Don....

 

[azdirtdigger]

Great find! Love old tokens. The research after the find is half the fun.

 

[Steve in PA]

Beautiful token
Just one question....who is Murdock and how does he fit in this puzzle?

John Rolfs is listed as a saloon & barkeeper in the 1880 census. He was born about 1847 in Prussia. Gaylor Lipscomb in "Ohio Merchant Tokens" has written that Murdock was at the 165 Rice street address from 1875 to 1887.

 

[jeff of pa]

Oldest ad in English



The Cincinnati daily star. ([Cincinnati, Ohio), 17 May 1879.



https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...use+&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

Oldest in German



https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...use+&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

 

[thrifty76now]

Mackaydon,, Well I was born in 1932 and I know much about Cincinnati.

 

[jeff of pa]

found 67 results containing "price hill house"” 1879 to 1883,
German & English

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...t=&proxdistance=5&rows=20&searchType=advanced

 

[idahotokens]

Steve--The James Murdock company was the maker of this token. The company signature is in tiny letters at the bottom of the reverse.
John in the Great 208

Beautiful token
Just one question....who is Murdock and how does he fit in this puzzle?

John Rolfs is listed as a saloon & barkeeper in the 1880 census. He was born about 1847 in Prussia. Gaylor Lipscomb in "Ohio Merchant Tokens" has written that Murdock was at the 165 Rice street address from 1875 to 1887.

 

[jeff of pa]

View attachment 1543077

if google is correct, may have been where the hospital parking is .
as the opposite side of the road is a steep Embankment



The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio), 26 July 1883.



https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...ouse&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=4

 

[Yak1366]

Great Token, Congrats!!!