"1789" Token Mott, White Metal MS

This 19th century store card has long been considered an early token because of its date (1789). Most scholars believe it was produced no earlier than 1807 (possibly in the Hard Times era of the late 1830s) as a commemorative of the founding of the Mott Company, and served as a business card. The firm, operated by Jordan Mott, was located at 240 Water Street, a fashionable section of New York at that time.