Owner Comments:
TOKEN APPEARANCE/CONDITION:
Uncirculated+ — Type I (8mm Center Cutout: Circle with 2 Pointed Edges)
*Flashy, deep golden, fully lustrous piece with reflective surfaces and sharp overall detail. Areas of dark tangerine toning can be seen on both the obverse/reverse; consistent contact marks throughout.— Only example I’ve ever encountered with a circle having two pointed edges as a center cutout. A rare issue with just 8 believed to exist. — Lower mint-state is even less common, as early 20th century merchant trade tokens were widely used/circulated.*
TOKEN BACKGROUND:
Token used by “Thurn’s” in Leadville, Colorado for 5C in trade circa 1907-1915. Establishment is listed as having been a saloon.
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There are two Thurn’s 5C varieties listed by Pritchard; both are rare. The Type I has an 8mm center cutout of a circle with two pointed edges. The Type II has a diamond shaped center cutout. Survival rates are 8 and 1, respectively. Therefore, both are significantly rare, yet the Type I shown here is slightly more common.
CATALOG NUMBER(S):
Pritchard LE1042-5a
CMT LE4120
RARITY: Pritchard estimates ~8 examples are known.
NGC Census not available.
TOKEN DESCRIPTION:
(Brass, 21mm, Round [8mm Circle with two Pointed Edges Cutout], Plain Edge)
OBVERSE: Thurn’s / Leadville.
REVERSE: Good for 5¢ / in Trade
HISTORICAL TOWN/CITY BACKGROUND:
(Leadville, Colorado):
"Once a front-runner in becoming the state capital. Horace and Baby Doe Tabor had a mine in Leadville and you can still visit their house which is now a museum. The mine, called the Matchless Mine was the place where a destitute Baby Doe Tabor was found frozen to death. Doc Holliday also frequented Leadville as a gambler. One of his favorite haunts was the Board of Trade Saloon." — Credited Source: Stuart Pritchard