Owner Comments:
TOKEN APPEARANCE/CONDITION:
Almost Uncirculated+ — Octagonal Shaped
*Beautifully bright golden brass colored surfaces, untoned fields & strong devices exhibit excellent eye-appeal for an axample that is nearly uncirculated; The intricacy & detail of the "5" on the REV. only adds to this effect.*
TOKEN BACKGROUND:
Token used by The Evans Cash Store in Del Norte, Colorado circa 1928 for 5C in trade (general merchandise).
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Pritchard estimates just ~15 examples are known to exist; A rare issue in all grades. — Of the 6 denominations issued by the Evans Cash Store (1C, 5C, 10C, 25C, 50C & $1.00), all denominations/varieties are included in this collection, exhibiting exceptional rarity. Each specimen is completely problem free, which only adds to their value and scarcity. To emphasize the rarity of the series, of the 6 varieties issued, the highest number known for any type is just ~15. Furthermore, not a single issue of the 6 is listed in the CMT (Colorado Merchant Token) guide; only in Pritchard. — This set was not purchased as a lot. Each specific issue was sought out and purchased individually. This series took nearly 2 years to complete.
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The Complete Series of the Del Norte, Colorado “Evans Cash Store”; all Included in this Collection:
- Pritchard DE380-1 (1C) - Examples Known: 5 (NGC AU-50): Included in this Collection
- Pritchard DE380-5 (5C) - Examples Known: 15 (NGC AU-55): Included in this Collection
- Pritchard DE380-10 (10C) - Examples Known: 14 (NGC XF-45): Included in this Collection
- Pritchard DE380-25 (25C) - Examples Known: 15 (NGC AU-53): Included in this Collection
- Pritchard DE380-50 (50C) - Examples Known: 14 (NGC XF-40): Included in this Collection
- Pritchard DE380-100 ($1) - Examples Known: 6 (NGC AU-55): Included in this Collection
CATALOG NUMBER(S):
Pritchard DE380-5
CMT (Unlisted)
RARITY: Pritchard estimates ~15 examples are known
NGC Census not available.
TOKEN DESCRIPTION:
(Brass, 28mm, Octagonal, Plain Edge)
OBVERSE: The Evans / Cash / Store
REVERSE: Good for / 5C / in Trade (¢ in 5)
HISTORICAL TOWN/CITY BACKGROUND:
(Del Norte, Colorado):
"Del Norte is named from the river Rio Grande del Norte, or ‘large river of the north’. The Utes were the first-known people to live here, particularly in the summers because of the abundance of wild game, plants, water, and timber in the area. However, winters were often too cold and harsh for them to settle permanently. American settlement began in the early 1870s by prospectors who were searching the nearby mountains for minerals such as gold and silver, particularly near a boom-town named Summitville, located at the base of South Mountain near Bennett Peak. These peaks in the San Juan Mountains were some of the last parts of Colorado where miners were allowed to explore and prospect for minerals, but they were finally able to do so after the Brunot Treaty was signed between the U.S. government and the Utes in 1873." — Credited Source: Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 103.