CW lead, and an old token with a few other goodies tossed in.

JimK

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Hello all,
Well we have not been to our Civil war camp for a while due to some crop spraying, but made it out on Saturday. Our best spot was not accessible due to the hay being about chest high. However there is another field that had been planted with corn that was only 3-4 inches high so we hunted between the rows. We did not do great but still found some good stuff. We managed four 3-ringers, 3 pistol bullets (one may not be period), a small caliber pistol ball. A brass tent or poncho grommet, a brass oval piece that we believe was a bridle rosette. We found a very thin and worn copper disk that may or may not have been a large cent at one time. If you look at it in just the right light under magnification and let your imagination run wild you can almost see a few features that would make you lean in that direction. We also got a 1958 wheat back penny, a bunch of iron stuff and wire and nails. But the coolest find of the day is a brass or copper token (about the size of a nickel) that says JOS. PFITZER 5 Cts on it. I could find no information on this one online. Is there anyone here that might know what and how old it is? It is thin (about half the thickness of a modern penny) and may have been attached to something at one time. There is nothing else on the back. Anyway please feel free to give any input or information about any of our finds and thanks for looking.

JimK
 

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Awesome finds !! :thumbsup:
 

The Jos. Pfitzer token looks to me to be from a Cincinnati maker and I find a Joseph Pfitzer who is listed in the 1880 Census and in the 1891 Cincy City Directory as having a saloon and boarding house in Riverside, Hamilton County, OH. I'll check in the draft 3rd edition of the OH token catalog when I get a chance, but I'll wager this is where the token is from. Is where you found it within the "sphere of influence" of Cincinnati?
John in the Great 208
 

The Jos. Pfitzer token looks to me to be from a Cincinnati maker and I find a Joseph Pfitzer who is listed in the 1880 Census and in the 1891 Cincy City Directory as having a saloon and boarding house in Riverside, Hamilton County, OH. I'll check in the draft 3rd edition of the OH token catalog when I get a chance, but I'll wager this is where the token is from. Is where you found it within the "sphere of influence" of Cincinnati?
John in the Great 208

How cool is that! Thank you for that information. Yes Cincinnati is less 100 miles from here. Well within traveling distance even in those times. Thank you again for the information.
JimK
 

It looks like a sutlers token, I've found a few and the ones I've found were thin like yours with a value amount stamped on them. I'd do more research on it to make sure it's not.
 

Thanks everyone for the comments and information. We are heading back out there in the morning.

JimK
 

What is a sutlers token? I've heard the term just don't know what it is.

It looks like a sutlers token, I've found a few and the ones I've found were thin like yours with a value amount stamped on them. I'd do more research on it to make sure it's not.
 

What is a sutlers token? I've heard the term just don't know what it is.

They were traveling merchants who sold goods to the soldiers. They often made their own coins and gave them back in change, much like the company store. I found several of them in an 11th Mass camp years ago.
 

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