Washington Medals 1850-1859
Game Counters and Play Money
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Baker 609 Game Counter, Type 1 Lauer Nuremburg
Obverse: GENERAL WASHINGTON
Reverse: JETON
Brass Weight: 42.5 g (2.75 grams) Diameter: 19.2 mm Reverse die alignment: 360°
Comments: This is one of a group of game counters produced by Ludwig Christian Lauer in Nuremburg, Germany in the mid to late 1860's (one variety, Baker 604 is signed LAUER and another, Baker 607L is dated 1855). The image of Washington is based on an 1817 print bu Giuseppe Longhi know in Germany through a copy engraved by G.G. Felsing in 1824. This shows a three quarter bust in civilian dress facing left (to Washington's right).
This is a type one obverse, in which the bust extends to the border of the token. The reverse displaying an olive wreath with the word JETON inside was issued in brass and according to Rular and Fuld is quite unusual with a listing as a rarity 9. Jeton is French for counter. The reverse displays several significant die cracks: from the top center of the T to the rim (at 11:00 o'clock), from the bottom of the T a crack can be seen from the right end of the serif to the rim (about 4:30 o'clock), and from the top of the O to the rim (about 2:30 o'clock).
Provenance: Part of an anonymous donation consisting of 1100 tokens and medals covering the Nineteenth century, primarily up through the Civil War era.
Reference: Rulau and Fuld, p. 237.
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Baker 607D Game Counter, Type 1 Lauer Nuremburg
Obverse: GENERAL WASHINGTON
Reverse: IN UNITATE FORTITUDO [below] SPIEL MÜNZE
Brass Weight: 34.3 g (2.22 grams) Diameter: 19.24 mm Reverse die alignment: 360°
Comments: This is one of a group of game counters produced by Ludwig Christian Lauer in Nuremburg, Germany in the mid to late 1860's (one variety, Baker 604 is signed LAUER and another, Baker 607L is dated 1855). The image of Washington is based on an 1817 print bu Giuseppe Longhi know in Germany through a copy engraved by G.G. Felsing in 1824. This shows a three quarter bust in civilian dress facing left (to Washington's right).
This is a type one obverse, in which the bust extends to the border of the token. There is a die crack extending from Washington's shirt upward toward his shoulder but turning at a right angle and extending to the rim. The reverse shows an eagle with dropped wings holding an olive branch and three arrows in its talons. This variety lacks the U.S. shield in the eagle's breast, as found in several other varieties. The Latin motto on the reverse translates as "Strength in unity" while Spielm&u uml;nze is German for "play money."
Provenance: Donated by Marilyn Bierwagen in 1998.
Reference: Rulau and Fuld, p. 237.
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Baker 602C Game Counter, Type 2 Lauer Nuremburg
Obverse: GENERAL WASHINGTON
Reverse: IN UNITATE FORTITUDO [below] SPIEL MÜNZE .
Gilt brass Weight: 53.0 g (3.43 grams) Diameter: 22.1 mm Reverse die alignment: 360°
Comments: This is one of a group of game counters produced by Ludwig Christian Lauer in Nuremburg, Germany in the mid to late 1860's (one variety, Baker 604 is signed LAUER and another, Baker 607L is dated 1855). The image of Washington is based on an 1817 print bu Giuseppe Longhi know in Germany through a copy engraved by G.G. Felsing in 1824. This shows a three quarter bust in civilian dress facing left (to Washington's right).
This is a type two obverse, in which the bust is truncated before reaching the border of the token. The reverse shows an eagle with dropped wings holding an olive branch and three arrows in its talons. This variety lacks the U.S. shield in the eagle's breast, as found in several other varieties. Also on this variety Spielmünze is in smaller letters than on other varieties. The Latin motto on the reverse translates as "Strength in unity" while Spielmünze is German for "play money."
Note: Unfortunately, the HTML symbol for an upper case U with an umlaut displays smaller than other upper case letters (as what is known as a small capital) Ü.
Provenance: Part of an anonymous donation consisting of 1100 tokens and medals covering the Nineteenth century, primarily up through the Civil War era.
Reference: Rulau and Fuld, p. 237
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Baker 598C Game Counter, Type 2 Lauer Nuremburg
Obverse: GENERAL WASHINGTON
Reverse: COMPOSITIONS * * * SPIEL-MARKE * * *
Brass Weight: 111.1 g (7.20 grams) Diameter: 27.3 mm Reverse die alignment: 360°
Comments: This is one of a group of game counters produced by Ludwig Christian Lauer in Nuremburg, Germany in the mid to late 1860's (one variety, Baker 604 is signed LAUER and another, Baker 607L is dated 1855). The image of Washington is based on an 1817 print bu Giuseppe Longhi know in Germany through a copy engraved by G.G. Felsing in 1824. This shows a three quarter bust in civilian dress facing left (to Washington's right).
This is a type two obverse, in which the bust is truncated before reaching the border of the token. The reverse shows an eagle with dropped wings holding an olive branch and three arrows in its talons. This variety lacks the U.S. shield in the eagle's breast. The motto on the reverse translates as "game counter."
Provenance: Part of an anonymous donation consisting of 1100 tokens and medals covering the Nineteenth century, primarily up through the Civil War era.
Reference: Rulau and Fuld, p. 238
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Baker C599E NO GOOD Token
Obverse: GENERAL WASHINGTON
Reverse: NO / GOOD
Edge: Reeded
German silver Weight: 61.8 g (4.0 grams) Diameter: --.- mm Reverse die alignment: ---°
Comments: The obverse shows a bust left in military dress with thirteen stars, considered to represent Washington. The reverse contains a maple leaf wreath with a crown at the top and an ornamental design above and below the central legend. Ru lau and Fuld record only two known examples, this being the third.
The reverse has a general similarly to the Canadian quarter of the period 1870-1936, in that there is a maple leaf wreath with a crown above, but the wreath is quite different in details from one on the quarter. The crown resembles, but is not exactly like, the small crown reverse used on Canadian quarters from 1902-1905. The orign and use of this very rare undated item is unknown. Both Kurth and Rulau list it with game counters, most probably due to the reverse legend.
Provenance: Acquired through the Robert Gore Numismatic Endowment from the EAHA auction of August 22, 1998, lot 702.
References: Howard Kurth, American Game Counters, Chicago, 1952, item 85A; Rulau and Fuld, p. 238 listed as Baker C-599E.
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