When did a beer cost 2.5 cents?

pa-dirt_nc-sand

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Apr 18, 2016
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South Western PA
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Decided to hit a cleared area (pipeline) 20’ from a cellar hole I have been hitting. It’s got some modern trash and hunters bullets galore which are painful vs focusing just on this little pristine time capsule 1850 cellar hole I’ve been pounding.

Best find is an old trade token.
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1543355391.649972.jpg
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1543355404.814654.jpg

Decent backmark on a flat button.
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1543355489.787808.jpg

Here is the lunch hunt handful.
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1543355541.358381.jpg

Good luck out there!
 

Upvote 38
That's a very nice old token. You could not even buy the pull tab off of a can of beer for 2 1/2 cents today !
 

I have some old beer in my garage Id sell for 2 1/2 cents send me the token Ill send the beer lol I love tokens thats a great piece of History Well done
 

This token is listed in the Aqua PA Merchant Tokens book as Pittsburgh-J-AC. The 1920 Census shows James Graham as being a hotel keeper at that address. James Madison Graham, Jr. is shown as an alumnus of Harvard University in 1913 living at that address. The 1907-15 Pittsburgh City Directories show him there as well. Where did the thought come from that a beer was 2½¢? This denomination, as pointed out, was the common one used in a pool room. The hotel apparently had a billiard room in connection with it.
John in the Great 208
 

It was probably a half off token beer 5 cents round up for a 2 cent beer then have another!
 

This token is listed in the Aqua PA Merchant Tokens book as Pittsburgh-J-AC. The 1920 Census shows James Graham as being a hotel keeper at that address. James Madison Graham, Jr. is shown as an alumnus of Harvard University in 1913 living at that address. The 1907-15 Pittsburgh City Directories show him there as well. Where did the thought come from that a beer was 2½¢? This denomination, as pointed out, was the common one used in a pool room. The hotel apparently had a billiard room in connection with it.
John in the Great 208

Thx Idahotokens for the ID! You ID’d a token for me in September as well. The 2.5 cent billiard token makes sense vs simply trade (or for a beer...), new info to me. The PA Merchant Token book is a great resource. I wish it was digitally available online. Thx
 

Great token. His establishment is listed in the September 5, 1903 issue of the Pittsburgh Press as "HOTEL GRAHAM" with J. M. Graham as the proprietor.
 

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