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This token was issued by C. Jevne & Co, one of the biggest retail distributors in Chicago area in the late 19th and early 20th century, likely for the purpose of advertising the oriental teas, particularly Chinese teas the company was importing and selling.
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The token is made of aluminum, with a diameter of 38mm. The obverse is a Chinese dragon with "C. JEVNE&Co" and "Chicago" inscribed in the center and lower part of the token. The reverse features an official from Qing Dynasty with Manchu queue hairstyle holding a hand-fan, with the inscription of "Jevne's Gold Mandarin Teas" on the outer edge.
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C. Jevne & Co., at 110-12 Madison Street, Chicago is probably the greatest retail distributor of good things to eat of Boston and New York. The business was started by Christian Jevne at 41 Kinzie Street, near the north branch of the Chicago River in 1865. His capitol was about $200. The present president of the company, Mr. Otto Christian Erickson, was appointed treasurer and bookkeeper in 1868 and has since been actively and continuously connected with the firm. In 1870 the business was moved to No. 1-3, North Clark Street, right at the foot of the bridge, where they met with an unexpectedly large increase in their business. The great fire in 1871, however, wiped it all out with the exception of $5000 in bank and about $4000 in outstanding accounts. About two weeks afterwards the business was reopened on Halsted Street, where it remained until 1874, when it was moved back to North Clark Street. It was a busy spot in Chicago at that time and especially a gathering place for farmers and lake shipping interests. The firm was then doing a business of $375,000 a year and had to seek larger quarters. They built their present building at 110-112 Madison Street and moved there in 1878. Christian Jevne died in 1898. Mr. Otto C. Erickson was taken in as a member of the firm in 1887 and has continuously increased the business. They employ from 100 to 125 men, fourteen of whom are drivers who look after forty horses. They are large importers getting their coffee direct from Sumatra and Arabia, their tea from China, Japan and Ceylon, wine from Europe, cheese, fish, canned goods and aquavit from Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The company has direct dealings with every country in the world and it is interesting to note that for the past fifteen years every ship freighting coffee from Sumatra in the East Indies has been a Norwegian, are officered and manned by Norwegians, with the exception of two or four ships which is employed each year for the handling of coffee purchased directly from the government of Holland at its four annual coffee auctions. In 1902, the company was incorporated, and Otto G. Erickson was elected as the first-president. The company went out of business in 1915.
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发表于 2020-7-13 11:08:06
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发表于 2020-7-13 19:57:27
