Deadwood, SD Token

[Silversurfer79]

So last summer I was out prospecting in South Dakota and ended up finding this token. I didn't think too much of it and decided to take a closer look at it. Best I can find is that is is a miners token from around 1909. Nate Hart was apparently part of the Hidden treasure mining company and must have produced these, yet they are not listed in any token book I can find. Any ideas?

 

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[thrillathahunt]

Interesting. What does the reverse say?

 

[Silversurfer79]

Its completely blank. The only other one I could find I googled N.Hart token and there is one in better shape.

 

[thrillathahunt]

Well, you do apparently have a rare token there! Congrats! By the way, you might want to add it to the database at tokencatalog.com

 

[Silversurfer79]

Sounds good! I will put it on the database! Thanks

 

[ModernMiner]

Awesome token SS.
I was able to add two tokens to that site myself so far. Sounds like you have a rare one.
Congrats,
MM

 

[idahotokens]

Silver--did you get yours in the Deadwood area? If not, I am a little skeptical about the attribution from thetokenstore. When you post your pic on tokencatalog, it will be automatically sent to the SD state editors for review. They may or may not accept the attribution. I don't have the latest issue of the SD catalog, but this token is not in the issue I have.
John in the Great 208

 

[Silversurfer79]

I found the token at the bottom of my gold pan about a mile out of Deadwood towards lead in a creek.

 

[idahotokens]

Silver--great! Thanks! Now for the why of a token with a blank reverse. Normally tokens of that period found with no denomination (i.e. good for a drink, cigar, 12½¢, etc.) were still good for something at the issuing business. Gambling laws were often such that it was illegal to gamble with money or anything representing value. So the proprietors' logic was that could use a token like this and tell the sheriff that the tokens were just used to keep score, similar to different colors of plastic poker chips today. The patrons knew, though, that the token could be exchanged for a beer, drink, cigar, or whatever the local agreement was. A token like this doesn't seem logical for a mining business, so I suspect Hart was involved with a saloon, cigar store, or some such business and the mining interests were a sideline. More research is needed to prove the true circumstances...
John in the Great 208

 

[idahotokens]

From Sanders' 1913 History of Montana:

 

[Silversurfer79]

Wow! Very interesting Idaho! Thank you very much for the info. I never thought too much about tokens, but they are in fact quite interesting. And to think I was just going to throw the token away like it was a chucky cheese token. Glad I didn't. I will be traveling to the Deadwood area this summer so I will have to do a little research while I am there. I'm curious as to how many of this token there are out there. Should I leave it the way it is or clean it up to remove some of the corrosion?

 

[Jason in Enid]

AAAAHHHHHH!!!! Never throw away old tokens! They can be worth a LOT of money. A rare token to a collector can be worth $500 - $1000 or more!

 

[Silversurfer79]

I definitely know that now! And I am glad I haven't thrown any away!!!!

 

[idahotokens]

Silver--I had a friend look for Hart in his 1909 Bradstreet business directory. He wasn't shown under Deadwood, but there was a Mrs. Glen Hart who was shown as having a cigar store there. I don't see a connection between Nathan and Glen, but Glen was born in NE in 1875 and his parents were both born in OH. I suppose it is possible that Nathan was Glen's father - maybe he had an earlier wife than the Josie mentioned in the bio - the dates and birthplaces line up better with that theory.

No, don't throw old tokens away. Even these "plain Jane" ones often have a good story behind them. As far as how many, I know of yours and the one at thetokenstore, but there may well be more. It isn't terribly valuable, but definitely worth keeping. Personally, I clean my tokens, but a lot of collectors don't like to, so it depends. If you are going to keep it for your own enjoyment, do what feels best. But if you are planning on trying to sell it, think twice.

John in the Great 208

 

[johnnyblaze]

Love the Deadwood history!!

Blaze

 

[tamrock]

Neat find, Many of tokens from the historic US western mining boom days can bring upwards of thousands of dollars. I'm always looking thru the antique stores hoping to find one from a western ghost boom town saloon or the like. I check ebay from time to time to see recent high sales on US tokens. The latest top dollar sale is this 1860 Pikes Peak copper token. I'm not sure of all the facts behind it and why it's so valuable. I find tokens very interesting as they open up a piece of past history when you research them... Are you doing any good gold prospecting up that way?...In the past, I made regular sales calls to the Homestake mine when it was running balls to the walls. That was a huge account that every salesman and his brothers called on. That place ran gold production I believe a 100 years before it closed. I sure miss going up that way.
1860 Denver Co Pikes Peak Gold Pictorial Copper 34mm Unl HK So Called Dollar | eBay

 

[IAsoldier]

I found one in CB IA a few yrs back it was a Brunswick token from Woodbine. Just say I got some good money for that rare token and many other unlisted ones.

 

[Silversurfer79]

Neat find, Many of tokens from the historic US western mining boom days can bring upwards of thousands of dollars. I'm always looking thru the antique stores hoping to find one from a western ghost boom town saloon or the like. I check ebay from time to time to see recent high sales on US tokens. The latest top dollar sale is this 1860 Pikes Peak copper token. I'm not sure of all the facts behind it and why it's so valuable. I find tokens very interesting as they open up a piece of past history when you research them... Are you doing any good gold prospecting up that way?...In the past, I made regular sales calls to the Homestake mine when it was running balls to the walls. That was a huge account that every salesman and his brothers called on. That place ran gold production I believe a 100 years before it closed. I sure miss going up that way.
1860 Denver Co Pikes Peak Gold Pictorial Copper 34mm Unl HK So Called Dollar | eBay

I did a little prospecting there although I didn't find too much. It was still nice to get out. I am sure I will be making a couple trips out there this summer and see what I can find. Heck maybe a couple more tokens!