Rulau Tokens (1700-1900)

About This Series

Cataloged in Russell Rulau's comprehensive reference works, these tokens encompass two centuries of American commercial and social history outside the federal coinage system. The Rulau numbering organizes by state and locality, connecting each piece to a specific community and period. Categories include merchant store cards, transportation tokens (ferries, omnibuses, streetcar lines), tavern and saloon tokens, political campaign pieces, and commemorative medals for local celebrations. The span from 1700 through 1900 captures pre-modern American token production from colonial-era merchant pieces through the Civil War explosion of the 1860s to Victorian-era standardized merchant checks. Each token records the name, trade, and location of a specific enterprise — information often surviving nowhere else. Materials include copper, brass, white metal, German silver, and hard rubber in sizes from dime to dollar scale. The Rulau framework transformed a fragmented collecting pursuit into a nationally organized field with consistent standards, enabling systematic collections by geography, period, or token function.