Front Side of Merchant Coin from Boerner and Troutfetter Store in Colby, Kansas.
Members of the far-flung Trautvetter/Troutfetter family have been known to make many things. Coins are one of those things that are on that list.
I discovered the “Troutfetter coins” on Ebay a few years ago while hoping to find something on the elusive Philip Troutfetter. Instead of a picture of Philip I found a coin from his brother’s general store in Colby, Kansas. I gave into temptation and purchased this “50 cent” piece from the Boerner and Troutfetter store in Colby, Kansas, from an Ebay seller (it’s now the second one I have in my collection).
The coin doesn’t have a date on it, but Troutfetter was involved in the general mercantile business in Colby, Kansas, in the early part of the 20th century. This George Troutfetter (there are numerous others) was born in the early 1870s in Hancock County, Illinois, the son of Christian Troutfetter. His brother was Philip Troutfetter who was a newspaperman in Colby, Kansas, an entrepreneur and ladies’ man in Colorado, an apparent adventurer in Columbia, South America, and a waiter in Boston.
The Troutfetter store also had a 25 cent piece as well, but I decided another 50 cents in Troutfetter money was enough.
It’s not just paper items one finds on Ebay.
2 Responses
A wonderful story, Michael, :}
I was thinking – oh my!!! was he a counterfeiter!!! Of course, that is what you wanted me to think. .LOL
Thank you for a good chuckle. I haven’t found much of anything to be laughing about – only stories.:} I take that back – my grandmother’s bedroom that has two doors – one to the adjoining bedroom and the other to a flight of stairs that are suicidal.:}
Have a wonderful Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Barbara in MA
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well.
George E. wasn’t involved in any activities that attracted the interest of law enforcement. His brother Philip is another story altogether 😉