CHIT CHAT: IRELAND'S OLD STAR HOTEL

The purpose of this column, which I hope to make a regular feature of Civil War Era Numismatics, is to explore what is probably the least collected type of numismatic items emanating from the Civil War era; the rectangular cardboard chit. I can think of three reasons for this. First of all, there is no catalog to tell you whether a chit is common, scarce, or rare. Secondly, these chits are generally undated, so you can't always know that they unquestionably fall into the 1861-1865 time frame. And finally, condition is often less than what you might want.

While it is true that there is no catalog, that is also part of the attraction, at least in my view. That's one of the reason why chits are quite a bit less expensive than their metallic counterparts. You can't look a piece up in a recent catalog and find out if it is a rarity 4, rarity 7, or even an undiscovered type. Realistically that isn't a problem, since with the exception of one or two types, ALL cardboard chits are rare, and a significant percentage of them are probably unique.

When you consider the fragile nature of chits, it is a miracle that any of them have survived the ravages of time. You'll probably notice, if you become interested in them, that numerous examples have damage to their backs. In most cases this is because they were glued in scrapbooks, and while this resulted in condition issues, it is the only reason that many of them still exist. Fortunately for collectors, most chits were only printed on one side, so the damaged side would not have had an inscription.

Although, as I mentioned, most chits are undated, once you've examined pictures of a number of examples that are unquestionably from the Civil War years, you will probably develop a feel for their general appearance. In other words, when you examine a chit you'll have a good sense of whether it is, in all probability, a Civil War issue.

Illustrated is an excellent example of a Civil War era cardboard chit. On its front, the inscription is IRELAND'S OLD STAR HOTEL / 2 / CENTS (the number is superimposed over the word) / 60 & 62 LISPENARD ST. The back is blank.

Joseph Brooks placed an advertisement in the June 11, 1855 New York Daily Herald to announce that he had opened the Old Star Hotel, "where can be had a choice selection of wines, brandies, ales, porter, segars, &c., also mutton chops, beefsteaks, cutlets, ham, cold cuts, rarebits, &c., &c." Mentioned at the end of the ad, almost as an afterthought, was the fact that there were "good beds and attentive waiters," but the emphasis was definitely on the food and drinks being offered by the establishment, and not on the accommodations.

Three years later Brooks advertised that his establishment was for sale, but he was still operating it in August, 1859. The following month, John H. Ireland took possession and renamed it Ireland's Old Star Hotel. Although he occasionally ran small ads for the hotel, his directory listings all described his business as "liquors" at 60-62 Lispenard, with no mention of the hotel. He was still listed as such in directories of the mid-1870s.

In view of the fact that the chit is undated, and Ireland was still in business long after the end of the war, you might well wonder why I would consider it a Civil War piece. For one thing, it is the same style as other chits that are unquestionably from the early 1860s. In addition, chits with small denominations were issued circa 1862 and 1863 to alleviate the severe shortage of small denomination U.S. coins; by the end of the war there was no need for chits or, for that matter, tokens. I purchased the chit, which I'd venture to say is a rarity 10, in a recent Heritage sale, and the price, even with the buyer's fee, was under $200. Just think what a rarity 10 Civil War store card would cost.

For more information about the Civil War Token Society, see:
https://www.cwtsociety.com/

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