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BRONZE GOOD LUCK TOKEN -
2 CIGARS FOR 25 CENTS

Denver Colorado

1908 Merchant 'Good Luck' token advertising 2 cigars for 25 cents / Minted by the Greenduck Co. in Chicago for Burt F. Davis in Denver Colorado

This bronze token was minted by the Greenduck Company of Chicago in 1908 for Burt F. Davis of Denver Colorado of 1006 16th street. This is a merchant good luck token with traditional symbols that represent good luck on the obverse and an advertisement on the reverse. This token is advertising two cigars for 25 cents. There are many varieties of good luck tokens that utilize some variation of these symbols: Wishbone, Horseshoe, four-leaf clover, rabbit's foot, pig, swastika and sometimes an Egytian hieroglyph. The swastika is an ancient symbol used by many cultures to respresent many concepts, particularly as a symbol of good luck / properity in Hinduism, before being coopted by Nazism as a symbol of their murderous regime and antisemitism. This particular good luck merchant token was minted by the Greenduck Company of Chicago who minted this particular design on the obverse with various reverses depending on the company and what they were advertising.

The Greenduck Company was founded in 1906 by George G. Greenburg and Harvey Ducgheisel who named their new firm by combining the first syllable of each of their last names which sounded like Greenduck when spoken. They had intended the name to be one word but so many people used it as two words that the company itself adopted that form years later becoming the Green Duck Metal Stamping Company. The company product list was extensive including many of numismatic interest. They made the American Numismatic Association's convention badge for the Cleveland ANA Convention in 1954 and the Chicago ANA Convention of 1955. They struck campaign medals, tokens, medals, badges, watch fobs, button pins for business and political campaigns adding Mardi Gras doubloons and casino chips in their later years.

Top: Swastika, four-leaf clover, rabbit's foot, wishbone inside upside down horseshoe / 1908 Membership Emblem of the Don't Worry Club Below: Bring Me Back to the Sign of Smoke? Burt. F. Davis. Denver, 1006 16th Street Colo. / For Two / 2 for 25 Cents Cigars (GREENDUCK CO. CHICAGO)