New York, New York. Leggett & Storms Hotel and Dining & Oyster Rooms. Bowers NY-6580. Brass rim, fer

New York, New York. Leggett & Storms Hotel and Dining & Oyster Rooms. Bowers NY-6580. Brass rim, ferrotype and printed card. 38 mm. Extremely Fine.，Obverse: ferrotype portrait of unknown female. Reverse: advertisement printed in black on a white ground, in seven lines, LEGGETT & STORMS / HOTEL, / AND / Dining & Oyster Rooms, / 44, 46 & 48 / Chatham St., / N.Y.<p>The ferrotype has a nice clear portrait, though there is some oxidation in the womans hair and some bubbling and splitting in the surface behind her head, close to the rim. Accents of gold paint are hand applied, as her earring and neck pendant. The printed heavy card shows only light wear with one small loss at the first T in LEGGETT. Nice color and very clear otherwise. The Bowers plate piece.<p>The establishment was reported in 1868 to be operated by Francis A. Leggett, William Leggett, and Alfred Storms.<p>Oysters are another numismatic subset. Many oyster houses issued tokens and scrip in the second half of the 19th century. Oysters were popular everywhere, as they could be shipped long distances and still be fresh upon arrival. In contrast, fish and meat needed to be salted or pickled. Baltimore was and probably still is the center of the oyster industry in America.<p>，Ex Steve Tanenbaum, 2011; Q. David Bowers Collection.，