Subject: Pawnbroking

Nickel-plated advertising piece featuring Hebrew numerals and the inscription "The time to sell to R. Lowenthal." This object was likely used as a pawnbroker's token, given to customers when they pawned their watches. It was exhibited at the Library of Congress in Cincinnati (AJA) from February to May 2005, and at the AJHS 350th anniversary exhibition in New York City from May to September 2005. Date: circa 1905

A pawn ticket issued by Samuel M. Fridenburg's Eagle Loan Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 23, 1869. The ticket, printed and filled in by hand, records a loan of $12.05 for a spring coat. It includes a revenue stamp and notes the office's relocation from S.E. corner 7th & Callowhill Streets to N.W. corner Ninth & Buttonwood Streets.

A pawn ticket issued by the Girard Licensed Loan Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 12, 1872, to Jacob Myers for a plaid dress. The ticket, printed and filled in by hand, indicates a loan amount of $3 and is missing its revenue stamp. The ticket includes the address of the loan office: 1200 North Second Street, Cor. Cadwalder, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

A pawn ticket issued by the Girard Licensed Loan Office on March 13, 1871, to Jacob Myers for a small dress suit. The ticket includes a 5-cent revenue stamp and indicates a loan amount of $4. The ticket is printed and includes handwritten details.

Receipt for a pawnbroker's license issued to S. Silverman in Great Falls, Montana on January 15, 1894. The receipt indicates a cost of $30 for a three-month period. The document is a legal record.

This trade card advertises Geo. Salabes, a pawnbroker located at 57 Harrison Street, Baltimore, Maryland. The front of the card features an illustration of two women kissing. The illustration appears to be hand drawn with an intricate border around the two women. The back of the card is blank. [George Salabes died in 1907 and was buried at the Baltimore Hebrew Cemetery.]

This trade card advertises J. S. Cohen, a clothing repairer and cleaner located at 73 East Second Street in Oswego, New York. The front of the card is white with black text. The card lists the phone numbers 117.F and 249.I. The back of the card is blank.

This trade card is for Levy's Pawnbrokers in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It features a four-page design, with two pages containing advertising and the remaining two pages showing a Christian story. The cards feature a mystery theme. The front of the card features a depiction of a man in a dark suit in a shadowy room. He is looking intently at something to his right, and there is a large, open book on a table to his left. The back of the card features a depiction of the Holy Family and the angel Gabriel announcing the birth of Christ. It appears the images on the card are the first two pages, with the third and fourth pages likely being advertising on the back. It is difficult to say if all four pages are related to the same business.

This trade card advertises S. Milberg, a dealer in new and secondhand goods at 189 Fourth Street in Troy, New York. The card features a text-only design with the business name, address, and services offered clearly printed on the front. The back of the card is blank.

Trade card advertising the business of Adolph Zola, a watchmaker, jeweler, and pawnbroker located at 136 Park Avenue, Warren, Ohio. The card is dated circa 1885.

This trade card advertises Edelstein Bros., pawnbrokers located at 2813 Jackson Ave. at Queens Plaza in New York. The front of the card depicts the traditional symbol of pawnbroking—three gold balls—arranged in a visually appealing manner. The illustration style suggests a late 19th-century aesthetic. The back of the card features a comical prayer, a humorous element likely intended to engage customers. The card also highlights the convenient location, mentioning accessibility via all subways, elevated trains, buses, and trolley cars. The text on the card indicates they were the "Oldest Established Pawnbrokers in Queens."

This trade card advertises Original Cohen's, a Baltimore-based business established in 1857. The front of the card lists their services: dealers in new and second-hand clothing, pawnbrokers, unredeemed pledges, merchant tailors, with misfits a specialty. They also sold guns, rifles, revolvers, watches, musical, and drawing instruments. The address, 8, 12, 14 Harrison St., Baltimore, MD, is clearly printed. The card also advertises a line of full dress suits for hire at reasonable terms. The back of the card contains pencil writing including figures and the name Joseph Robbins. [Joseph Robbins was the captain of the Schooner Annie Francis, an oyster dredge boat that worked the Chesapeake Bay from 1888-1890].

This trade card advertises the Star Loan and Mercantile Co., 1903 Market Street, St. Louis, MO, which was established in 1895 and owned by Dave Ellman. The front of the card features a photograph of Mr. Ellman, and the business's name and address are printed on the card. The text reads "STAR LOAN AND MERCANTILE CO." and "1903 MARKET STREET OPPOSITE UNION STATION." The back of the card is blank. The card's design is described as "very odd" by the original cataloger.