TIDY HOUSE COINS, PART ONE

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V27 2024 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 27, Number 49, December 8, 2024, Article 11

John Veach submitted a two-part article on Tidy House coins. Thank you. Here's the first part. -Editor

Tidy House Morgan Dollar holder composite.jpg

The Tidy House Products Company was founded in 1940 when two radio station workers in Shenandoah, Iowa purchased the rights to Perfix, a cleaning powder. Cy Rapp and Al Ramsey incorporated the new company naming it Tidy House Products Company of Shenandoah, Iowa. They changed the spelling from Prefix to Perfex and expanded the line of cleaning supplies in 1941.

In 1943 the company began operating in Omaha. Its headquarters was at 5010 Underwood Avenue. In 1951 the Tidy House Products Company moved to an 85,000 square foot manufacturing and packaging plant in North Omaha located at 1432 Evans Street.

Tidy House Products Company manufactured a line of household cleaning products. Their brands included Perfex household cleaner, Dexol Bleach, GlossTex liquid starch, and Shina Dish. The Tidy House Products Company was one of many industries scattered throughout the North Omaha community.

The Pillsbury Company acquired Tidy House Products Company in June 1960. Mr. Rapp joined their board of directors, and its brands were continued under the Tidy House label. The Pillsbury Company sold the Tidy House line back to Cy Rapp in June 1964. Mr. Rapp incorporated the company, naming it Tidy House Products of Omaha. A large part of Tidy House's success was due to their progressive marketing techniques in newspapers, on radio, and television.

Robert D. Osterholm, "Bob," was the President of the Tidy House Corporation. He enjoyed coins and hit upon a clever way to sell cleaning supplies by offering a free collector's coin in boxes of Tidy House products. Indian Head cents were packaged into specially marked boxes of Dexol bleach in January and February 1965, and again in September and October 1966. Buffalo nickels were packaged into specially marked boxes of Perfex Cleanser in September and October 1967.

The first silver coin offered was a free 1964 Kennedy half dollar. To receive your free coin, you were required to return three price-stamped box tops from Tidy House products and the order form printed in the newspaper to Tidy House. This advertisement first appeared on page 17 of the Omaha World-Herald on October 1, 1964. The offer expired on November 30, 1964.

One of the best-known cases of silver dollars being used for promotional purposes is the Tidy House Products Co. Morgan dollars. An advertisement on page 43 in the June 1, 1966, Evening World-Herald offered the "famous Morgan silver dollar, minted over eighty years ago in the New Orleans mint closed by the government in 1909." To purchase your silver dollar, you were required to mail in one dollar, three price-stamped box tops from Tidy House products, and the order form printed in the newspaper to Tidy House. The offer expired on August 31, 1966. The offer was repeated in the June 11, 1967, Omaha World-Herald. The half page advertisement on page 133 claimed, "Last year we filled orders for tens of thousands of scarce silver dollars… all we could get our hands on." This offer expired on July 31, 1967.

Osterholm acquired mint sewn bags of common date Morgan dollars for the promotion. On one occasion when he opened the bag and saw so many ruined by improper storage, he hired a chemist in California to "fix them." The original packaging used by Tidy House contained high concentrations of sulfur. Over time certain dollar coins stored in this packaging have developed a pleasing rainbow tone, while others have toned virtually all dark.

A new advertisement on page 135 in the June 2, 1968, Omaha World-Herald offered 1964 Kennedy half dollar "mint sets" for just $1.00 plus three Tidy House box tops. The offer expired on June 30, 1968.

There are two distinct types of packaging for the dollar coins. The first type of packaging has the words DID YOU KNOW… under the dollar. A sales brochure included with the coin offers brilliant uncirculated San Francisco minted dollars for sale by AAA Coin Co. of Omaha. AAA Coin Co. of Omaha was owned and operated by Bob Osterholm. The packaging for the coin and advertisement has the return address of 750 Omaha National Bank Bldg. and was sent third class mail. This type of packaging was used for the 1966 promotion.

The second type of packaging has the words NOW MORE SCARCE… MORE VALUABLE… MORE WANTED… under the dollar. A sales brochure included with the coin offers brilliant uncirculated dollars for sale by Omaha Coins. Omaha Coins was also owned and operated by Bob Osterholm. The shipping envelope for the coin and advertisement has the return address of Post Office Box 489 D.T.S. (Downtown Station.) This type of packaging was used for the 1967 promotion.

Brian Greer of Urbandale, Iowa shared an image of a third type of holder with me. It was the only one I had seen and requires more research. I found an image of this third type of package in the auction archives of Heritage Auctions. I knew Quent Hansen collected Tidy house coins, so I shared the image with him. Quent did not have one in his collection, but thought it could have been used as a shipping package when you ordered additional dollars from AAA Coin Co.

Only common date 1880's Morgan dollars, frequently from the New Orleans mint, were packaged. No Peace dollars were packaged. Buyers should beware of Peace dollars switched into holders and advertised as original.

No records of these promotions have been located to date, so the quantity of coins packaged is unknown.

The Tidy House Products Co. of Omaha was sold to Church & Dwight Co. of New York City in August 1969. Church & Dwight Co. is known for the manufacture of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda, and many other products.

This article started out in July 2024 with just a few pages. With help from Brian Greer, Quent and Cathy Hansen, Ed Bishop, John Osterholm, Rob Kinsey, John Jackson, Michael Burney, and a few others it turned into a 19 page (and growing) history of the coins used in Tidy House Soap Company promotions.

Thanks, should be given to dealer Brian Greer of Urbandale, Iowa for sharing an image of a third type of holder with me. It was the only one I had seen and requires more research. I found an image of this third type of package in the auction archives of Heritage Auctions. Thanks should also be given to Mike Burney of Nomad Numismatics in Kansas City, MO for the image of the money bag. It was the only one I had seen and requires more research. If you know anything about either item, please contact me at coinguyatleebooksellers@yahoo.com. Thanks.