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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
Referred to as the first Confederate Cent¹, Marshall House tokens were circulated and used in commerce as cent pieces in various places throughout the State of Virginia, including southward in the city of Richmond in the early 1860s². Originating from the Marshall House Hotel in Alexandria Virginia, these store card tokens were initially circulated in the Northern Virginia region.
The Marshall House Token is attributed as being the first known issue of a token featuring the French Minerva head, designed by Robert Lovett, Jr ³. Given these facts, the Marshall House token is described by some numismatists as being the first prototype for the later Confederate Cent¹ ².
A comparison of the obverse of both is displayed below:
(Bashlow Image courtesy of PCGS)
Infamously, the Marshall House also became well known during the Civil War era for a more ominous reason. After the City of Alexandria was captured by Union Colonel Ephraham E. Ellsworth in 1861, the owner of the Marshall House Hotel, James William Jackson, continued to fly the Southern Stars and Bars over the hotel. Jackson, a fervent Confederate, was a captain of an artillery company in Alexandria, and relished the thought that it was possible for Lincoln himself to see his Stars and Bars flying from the Whitehouse⁴ ⁵.
While making his way through Alexandria, Ellsworth espied Jackson's flag over the hotel, and decided he wanted the flag as a trophy. Accompanied by several of his troops, Ellsworth entered the hotel and negotiated his way up the floors of the hotel. Finding a ladder and trap door that led to the roof, Ellsworth mounted the ladder and made his way onto the roof, and snatched his trophy flag. While making his way back down the ladder, Ellsworth found himself face-to-face with Jackson, who was holding a double-barreled shotgun.†
"Here is my trophy," exclaimed Ellsworth, displaying the flag on his arm. "And you are mine," replied Jackson, as he quickly raised his gun, and discharged its contents into the breast of the exultant Federal⁴.
Immediately thereafter, one of the soldiers who accompanied Ellsworth fired on Jackson and mortally wounded him with a bullet to his head. While collapsing to the floor, another soldier rammed his bayonet into Jackson's chest⁴. One of the soldiers, identified as one Private Brownell, received The Medal of Honor in 1877 for his act of firing on Jackson⁶.
Inversely, while Brownell was honored by the Union, Jackson himself was honored by the South. Pursuant to the Verdict of a Coroners Jury, Jackson was "killed while defending his property and personal rights", and deemed a Martyr to the Cause of Southern Independence⁸. A plaque at the site of the Marshall House Hotel attesting to the verdict remains to this day.
Below please find two Marshall House tokens from my cabinet. I estimate the first specimen, despite its planchet clip, to be approximately Choice Very Fine.
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The second specimen also displays a planchet clip, but much less noticeable at obverse 7 o'clock. I estimate its condition to be approximately Very Fine.
.jpg)
Given that both specimens display planchet clips, further investigation is warranted to determine if such clips are systemic with the issue.
As demonstrated on the reverse of the token, Rulau advises that the '9' of 1859 is usually weakly struck⁶. But that said, there is no mention by Rulau of minor varieties involving the reverses of the tokens, or of the mechanics involving the date punching; Yet clearly it can be seen that the '5' of 1859 is offset in Specimen 2 when compared to Specimen 1.
- CheetahCats
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† A similar, but conflicting account of events is told in Rulau's Fourth Edition. The account cited herein was written in 1866⁴, only a few years after the event.
¹ "The Marshall House and the Civil War," The Virginia Numismatist, Winter 2003, pg.15
² The Lovett Cent; A Confederate Story, Harold Levi and George Corell, Skeenah Gap Publishing, ©2006, pg.103
³ Ibid., pg.105
⁴ The Lost Cause; A New Southern History of the War of the Confederates, Edward A. Pollard, Treat & Co, 1866, pg.135
⁵ GoogleEarth; The Marshall House was located on the corner of South Pitt and King Street in Alexandria VA, and is approximately 6 ½ miles from the Whitehouse.
⁶ Standard Catalog of United States Tokens 1700-1900 Fourth Edition, Russell Rulau, Krause Publications, ©2004, pg.403
⁷ Smithsonian Institution; http://civilwar.si.edu/firstblood_floor_flag.html#
⁸ Plaque erected and displayed at the former site of the Marshall House Hotel
Edited by CheetahCats
03/02/2011 06:06 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1000 Posts |
Thanks for the history lesson. I get excited every time I see a token post show up on the "new post" section.
I love how you give the back story of your tokens...it makes your collection come to life.
Looking forward to your next post.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1418 Posts |
That's very interesting! Thanks for posting!
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
731 Posts |
Quote:
That's very interesting! Thanks for posting! Quote:
Thanks for the history lesson. I get excited every time I see a token post show up on the "new post" section.
I love how you give the back story of your tokens...it makes your collection come to life.
Looking forward to your next post. You're welcome, and thanks to both of you for your kind words. In the matter of tokens, I believe it's almost necessary to share the backstory of each, more so in many ways to the regular, mass-produced U.S. issues. Without such backstories, I find it's difficult to appreciate the context of each token, its origin, and the individuals or organizations who issued them. Edited by CheetahCats
03/03/2011 09:27 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3179 Posts |
That must be one heck of an awesome cabinet you have there! Your research is very interesting.  |
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Valued Member
United States
469 Posts |
Good stuff! Keep them comming.
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Posted 03/02/2011 07:44 am
