American Swiss Watch company Advertising Token
Encasing coins in Aluminium rings is a way of making coins into advertisements, for a business, club, event etc.. without defacement. These often include a good luck message of some sort.
1896: A Russian immigrant, Isaiah Hirschsohn, arrived in Cape Town with two suitcases. One full of American watches, the other Swiss, with the intention of selling the watches to make a living. After trading from door to door, He set up American Swiss Watch (ASW) with 500 pounds in partnership with Abraham Epstein and opens his first store in Caledon Street, Cape Town, adding giftware and jewellery to the range.
Epstein A Profession Proprietor, American Swiss Watch Co., Direct Wholesale Importers of Watches, Clocks and all kinds of Jewellery Address 9 Lelie Street, Box 649 Notes Telegraphic Address, "Watch" (In 1900 Juta's Directory )
The reason a British Farthing has been used and not a South African one might be related to the low mintage's of the SA Farthing prior to 1938.
In June 1900 the partnership was dissolved and Epstein was paid 800 pounds for his share.
Isiah brought in his cousin Abraham Grusd as a partner. He paid 750 pounds for his share.
n 1905 Abraham Grusd bought diamonds for 88 pounds from a Mr J Kay who had acquired them from Mr W Lewis who was deemed to have smuggled the cut diamonds into the country without paying import duties. The customs had an informant on the ship but they were unable to find the diamonds and jewelry on W Lewis when he disembarked. Customs had followed Lewis and traced the jewelry to ASW and seized them. ASW had bought 16 3/8 carats of diamonds for 4 pounds per carat less 5% (62 pounds) and 6 rings for 26 pounds. ASW then tried to recover the goods from customs as they claimed to be unaware that the goods were smuggled. This is not disputed in the papers. Eventually customs auctioned the goods for 111 pounds. 1/3 of the receipts from the auction were paid out as bonuses to the informant and the customs officials! (Read Here)
1923: The American Swiss Watch Company outgrows the Caledon Street store and the decision was made to expand the premises to Parliament Street.
The infamous Foster gang holds up Isaiah and cleans out the shop. The gang is later killed in the Kensington Caves in Johannesburg. The Foster gang was a group of criminals who operated in South Africa, around Johannesburg and the Rand, between the months of July and September 1914, committing various acts of robbery and murder The gang consisted of four persons: the leader William Robert Clem Foster, his wife Peggy Foster, John Maxim and Carl Mezar. After a standoff with the police, the gang members and Foster's wife all committed suicide.
The gang is historically significant because a nominated senator, General Koos de la Rey, was shot by a policeman at a road block set up to look for the Foster gang. De la Rey's death and subsequent funeral, where it was rumoured that he had been assassinated by the government, was a contributory factor in the Maritz Rebellion of 1914 .
"Foster and Maxim traveled to Cape Town, took lodgings in the city, and planned the armed robbery of The American Swiss Watch Company, which was situated in Longmarket Street. They were soon joined by Foster's brother, Jimmy, and a fourth man named Jack Johnson.
At first, the gang stayed at Claridges Hotel (since demolished) in the suburb of Gardens, but later moved to a boarding establishment, Ebenezer House, in Hope Street, where they believed they would be less conspicuous.
By Wednesday, 19 March 1913, everything had been prepared. At 6.45 p.m., they set out for the American Swiss Watch Company wearing false beards and mustaches. The two owners of the jewelry shop, Mr. I Hirschsohn and Mr Abraham Grusd were still at work in the shop. They had pulled down the window blinds but had not locked the heavy security gates.
Hirschsohn and Grusd looked up in surprise when Foster and his three accomplices walked into the room where they were working. Foster waved a powerful handgun at them. “Don't move or we'll shoot,” he warned.
Hirschsohn was bound, gagged and hooded, while Grusd was forced at gunpoint to open all the safes. Within minutes, the robbers had taken almost £5 000 worth of watches, rings and jewellery.
“We have a watchman outside,” Foster said as the four men were leaving. “He'll shoot anyone who comes out of this shop in the next fifteen minutes.” Hirscholm eventually managed to free himself. He removed the hood from his partner's head, and then hobbled outside, still in the ankle chains the robbers had used to fetter him, and raised the alarm. Within minutes, the police arrived.
Detectives from the CID conducted an intensive investigation of the area, but the thieves had left few clues behind them." The owners of the American Swiss Watch Company offered the substantial reward of £500 for information leading to the arrest of the robbers. (Read Here)
As the production of the South African coinage increased, so the British coinage being used duly with the SA coins were taken out of circulation.
However, the most probable answer is that is was created in the UK as all other examples of 'Good Luck' tokens are of British descent.
An other example of the similar kind of Good luck token is Woolfsons one but a bit later in 1946 , using a 1/4d South African penny. The design is very similar to the American Swiss one .
More TimeLine
1928: Union Special, the first watch house brand is introduced. The American Swiss Watch name is shortened to American Swiss.
1930's: Credit is introduced to help customers during the difficult financial period of the depression.
1942: Isaiah Hirschsohn dies.
1952: By this stage the merchandise range has extended to include leather goods, luggage, optical, photographic and sports equipment. The Hirschsohn family decides to consolidate the business, by buying another jewellery company in Strand Street. 1965: Discussions begin with Stanley Lewis of Foschini. He suggests working together to form a network of jewellery stores across South Africa.
1967: Foschini buys American Swiss. Foschini then buys Markhams and the Foschini Group is formed
1968: American Swiss starts to expand. Eloff Street branch in Johannesburg opens, followed by Springs and Worcester. By 1970 there are 24 American Swiss stores around the country. Head Office still worked with one buyer, one merchandiser and operated on a manual system!
1972: Grandson of Isaiah, Clive Hirschsohn is MD. Concerned about the quiet winter months, he devised the now famous Discount Diamond Promotion which proves to be phenomenally successful.
1974: American Swiss 25% off Diamond Sale launches nationally and becomes an annual event, still running to this day.
1980-1990's:
Various local celebrities are used to endorse the annual Discount Diamond Promotion including Liberace., Pieter Dirk Uys, The Pink Panther, Doreen Morris, Annalene Kriel, Barry Ronge, Christina Storm & James Small, Bobby Skinstad and Amor Vittone.
1981:
American Swiss goes international with the first store outside South Africa opening in Windhoek, Namibia.
2010:
American Swiss remains the contemporary jewel
lery retailer of choice – offering stylish and fashionable jewellery and international watch brands to aspirational individuals in over 200 stores across Southern Africa.
2014:
American Swiss moves into Africa, opening a store in Ghana in October 2014.
Events in Isaiah Schaje (Chaim)'s life:
1872 Birth Tallin/Reval, Estonia Jan 24 1872
Occupation: Jeweler, founder of American Swiss Watch Co.
1900 Age ~28 Marriage to: Leah Dugin (Hirschsohn) Circa 1900
1903 Age 30 Birth of son: Phillip Hirschsohn Cape Town, South Africa Jan 18 1903
1904 Age 32 Birth of daughter: Cecilia (Cissie) Hirschsohn (Ross) Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA July 3 1904
1907 Age 35 Birth of son: Louis Hirschsohn Hirshon Berlin, Prussia Mar 22 1907
1912 Age 40 Birth of daughter: Irene Hirschsohn (Brenner) Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA Apr 24 1912
1925 Age 53 Marriage of daughter: Cecilia (Cissie) Hirschsohn (Ross) to Eli Ross Rostowski Cape Town Mar 2 1925
1926 Age 54 Marriage of son: Phillip Hirschsohnto Nita Esther Myers (Hirschsohn Steinberg) Cape Town June 1926
1934 Age 61 Marriage of son: Louis Hirschsohn Hirshon to Doris Elizabeth Essafrau Essafrao (Hirschsohn) Port Elizabeth, South Africa Jan 11 1934
1936 Age 64 Death of son: Phillip Hirschsohn Cause: Appendicitis Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA Dec 29 1936
1942 Age 70 Death Cause: Stomach cancer & Diabetes Cape Town, WC, South Africa Apr 30 1942
Burial Pinelands 1
More on Tokens :
Aluminium with UK Farthing 1939 1/4d penny insert. Overall diameter : 36.5mm and 1.7mm thick.
They also made R.10 Sterling Silver Tokens which due to the content demand a fairly high premium ...
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