(1876) Brass Token Pa-Ph 256, Muled w/ Pa-Ph 229 Obv

Coin Details

Description

A brass mule token (Pa-Ph 256), this piece was created by pairing the Lingg & Co. alternate trade name die used on later token issues and the Centennial commemorative die with Liberty Bell design, the central symbol of the Exposition. Produced at the Lingg & Bro. shop at 36 North 8th Street in Philadelphia, mule tokens were created as special collector pieces by combining dies from unrelated token series. Die mules occupy a specialized niche within the Centennial series, prized by collectors for their unusual die combinations and relative scarcity. The brass composition gave this token an attractive golden appearance, distinguishing it from the more commonly encountered white metal and copper versions of this merchant's series. Memorial Hall, the Exposition's permanent art gallery, was the only major building designed to survive the fair and remains standing in Fairmount Park as a lasting architectural legacy of the Centennial.

Rarity Notes

As a die mule, Pa-Ph 256 in brass is inherently scarcer than standard single-issuer tokens. These cross-die combinations were created as collector novelties by Lingg & Bro.

Cross References

Pa-Ph 256; PCGS #668069