Exonumia, 1909, Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Alaska Gold 1/2 DWT, Token, AU55

Exonumia, 1909-Token, AU55, Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Alaska Gold 1/2 DWT, AMRH-11, R.4

A fascinating relic of early twentieth-century numismatic marketing, this 1909 Alaska token belongs to the enigmatic M.E. Hart “Coins of the Golden West” series, now widely attributed to famed dealer and promoter Farran Zerbe. Issued as part of a broader souvenir gold enterprise tied to Western and frontier romanticism, these pieces were sold as collectible keepsakes rather than circulating coinage. Zerbe likely used the M.E. Hart name as a commercial front to distance himself from criticism surrounding imitation gold token issues. Today the series is recognized as one of the more charming and elusive products of America’s exposition-era numismatic boom