Civil War Trade Token & Eagle Button

[MAINE HILLS HUNTER]

Civil War Trade Token & Eagle Button

Been night hunting this field here in Maine with a buddy. I've done pretty well to this point but had my best night in there yet pulling out these.

The "Take Ayers Pills" thingy I was told is a Civil War Trade Token and after a quick google search I was able to confirm this.

The button is a pre-war Artillary Eagle Button. Hard to tell from the pic, but it is my first Eagle button. I have identified it as AY62 using Albert's Button Book, Dating it to shortly after 1821.

Happy Hunting!

 

[Shark27]

Re: Civil War Trade Token & Eagle Button

I've also hunted at night and enjoyed it. Great token! anything civil war is nice!

Shark27

 

[steelheadwill]

Re: Civil War Trade Token & Eagle Button

Nice Finds!
I get those buttons sometimes, mine all have 'United*States* BMs
Congrats on some Oldies

 

[idahotokens]

Re: Civil War Trade Token & Eagle Button

What you are calling a Civil War trade token is usually described as an encased postage stamp (holder). During the Civil War era, small change had been driven out of circulation, so to keep the wheels of commerce turning, inventive businesses used several methods to compensate. Probably the most inventive of these was the encased postage stamp. Since the paper stamps were still being printed and used, the invention of this small piece worked well. It consisted of a metal shell for the "back" upon which advertising was stamped. On the other side, a postage stamp was placed under a mica window and held in place with a crimped ring. The face value of the piece was that of the stamp - and if somebody wanted to redeem it, they merely broke the window, took out the stamp, and put it on a letter. Other solutions were the various Civil War tokens which came in Storecard and Patriotic types. They were intended to imitate one cent pieces, and were technically against the law at the time.
John in ID

 

[Dman]

Re: Civil War Trade Token & Eagle Button

That's a pretty rare find.
Congrats
Dman