This would be classified as a "storecard" and collected alongside trade tokens by many, but not all, collectors. The difference between it and a trade token is that this piece is advertising the Baldwin Company's products whereas a trade token was used in place of money in some way. This was probably a give-away (like today's paper business card) or may have been included with a shipment from the company in hopes that the recipient would carry it in his pocket and be reminded about their company and its lines.
This has the appearance to me of a 20th Century piece - I can't tell without a lot of looking how old the A. Baldwin Co. is, but the 1893 New Orleans City Directory shows Albert Baldwin as President of A. Baldwin Co. Ltd. located at 12-22 Camp, corner of Common. After snitching some info from lahistory.org, here's a bio of him:
BALDWIN, Albert, businessman, civic leader. Born, Watertown, Mass., April 7, 1834; son of Jacob Baldwin and Martha Payson Bruce. Married (1) Rhoda Griffin, 1855; she and infant son died of yellow fever in New Orleans, 1858. Married (2) Arthémise Bouligny (b. 1846), great-granddaughter of Francisco Bouligny (q.v.). Children who reached maturity: Henry Fay (b. 1864), married Sarah Vairin; Albert, Jr. (q.v.), married Helen Hardie; David Gilmore (b. 1868), married Mathilde Seixas; Alice (b. 1871), married Nugent Beverly Vairin; Gustave Bouligny (b. 1877), married Lillian Legendre; Arthemise Bouligny (b. 1878), married Maj. Gen. William Ottman. Removed to New Orleans as a young man in 1858 and entered business. Founder and president of A. Baldwin & Co. Hardware. President, New Orleans National Bank; vice-president, Times-Democrat Publishing Co.; director: Union Ferry Company, American Brewing Company, National Rice Milling Company, Gullet Gin Company, New Orleans Waterworks Company, New Orleans Street R. R. Company, Sun Life Insurance Company, and Standard Guard Chemical Manufacturing Company, among others. Member: Boston Club; an organizer of the Rex organization and the fourth Rex; a founder and commodore of the Southern Yacht Club. Actively supported Sophie Wright (q.v.) in her educational endeavors. Died at Baldwin Lodge, north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, April 21, 1912.
My guess was that the reference to 1822 was based on the "Keen Kutter" brand of knives, but I see that it didn't go back that far. Don't know where he came up with that date...
John in the Great 208
