S.H. Zahm Merchant Tokens
Fuld in his "U.S. Civil War Storecard Catalog" list the copper, brass,
and white metal examples as Rarity 5: 75 to 200 known. He
does have a silver version listed but the note says no authentic
silver pieces have been seen, only silvered white metal. In
Greenslet's "The Medals of Franklin" the brass and white metal
examples are listed as 11 to 15 known, the copper as 31 to 75.
He also list the silver version with no note about it being silvered
white metal.
S.H. Zahm Merchant Tokens
Fuld PA525A-1a, copper, 19mm
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Fuld PA525A-1b, brass, 19mm
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Advertising card for his used book business
Fuld PA525A-1e, white metal, 19mm
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Civil War Postal Cover issued by S.H. Zahm
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These envelopes imprinted with patriotic themes were extremely
popular during the Civil War and began to be collected even before
the end of the War. This one was not postmarked until 1966 and I wonder how it was done with no address?
Were these tokens for this Lancaster, PA merchant issued during
the Civil War? Samuel Hensel Zahm was born in March of 1840
and in directories of the Civil war era was listed as a grocer in
business at the same location as his father, a jeweler. But the
following quote from "The American Stationer", January 1893
indicates he returned sometime in the 1870's to begin his antiquary
business:
In
187o, after having been engaged in the book business in Kansas City
and as traveling salesman for a Pittsburg firm, he returned to his
native town, and with William Reichenbach opened a small second hand
book store. His partner died in 1878 and Mr. Zahm formed a partnership
with Samuel Auxer, under the firm name of S. H. Zahm & Co.
And in "Caspar's
Directory Of The American Book", 1889 is found the listing "Zahm &
Co; S.H. (S.H. Zahm, Sam'l Auxer. est 1875),
18-20 S. Queen Lancaster". Can we assume he was selling coins,
tokens' and medals while operating the grocery business or was
this part of his antiquarian book store operation? And would this
change the designation of these pieces as Civil War Store Cards?
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Advertising card for S.H. Zahm's father's jewelry business. Notice the times on the back of the card - pre time zones!
Samuel H. Zahn Medal issued by Red Rose Coin Club
Brass?, 38.6mm
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| This medal, issued by the Red Rose Coin Club of Lancaster Pa. in 2011, features an image of the Zahm Merchant token on the obverse. It seems the inscription may have been a error and should have read "issued Lancaster's only civil war token". |
Chestnut & Walnut Passenger R.R. Co. Token
Fuld 750H-1a, copper, 19mm
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Fuld 750H-1b, brass, 19mm
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Fuld 750H-1d, copper-nickel, 19mm
(The third edition of "U.S. Civil War Store Cards" calls this non-verified)
The "one fare" token for the Chestnut & Walnut Passenger Railroad
Company of Philadelphia is one of the rarest merchant tokens
produced by
Robert Lovett Jr.. This brass version is rated R-8 with the
copper being an R-9
One Civil War Token expert stated that you could count all of these on
both hands and have fingers left over! Robert Jr. also used the
Franklin die on the tokens for S.H. Zahm.