1837 Chicago Peacock Token, Time is Money, HT-MD 19, NGC AU58BN. This near-Mint State 1837-dated Peacock token was actually struck between 1900 and 1906. The piece is a glossy brown, eye-appealing store token with excellent detail on both sides. We see the eye and feathers as well as the obverse legend. The letters and numerals of the reverse are bold and sharp as are the rims on both sides. The surfaces are clean for the grade with no individually significant abrasion marks or other distractions.
 
The token shows an encircled peacock as its central device with the date 1837 surrounded with the legend C.D. PEACOCK JEWLER CHICAGO.  The reverse shows a clock with Roman numerals for its hours with the interior legend TIME IS MONEY in three lines.
 
Peacock, the first retail jewelry establishment in Chicago first opened in 1837, the same year that the city was incorporated. Its founder Elijah Peacock was a third generation watch and jewelry repairman. Under his leadership the firm introduced tea services, coffee sets, hot-water dishes, and candlesticks, all of which appealed to an upscale clientele. The firm survived the Great Fire of 1871 because all of the valuable merchandise was locked in a fireproof vault. In 1889 Charles Daniel Peacock took over the business and expanded it as Chicago grew. Each store was designed to show the finest watches, jewelry, and gifts. Even today C.D. Peacock continues to cater discreetly to athletes, entertainers and other celebrities from Chicago and all parts of the United States.