JL Hudson's Credit Token, 1919

Description: Consumer credit expanded in the 1920s, promoting a credit revolution. Stores like J.L. Hudson of Detroit, Michigan issued credit to favored customers, expecting full payment at the end of the month. Before the advent of magnetic stripe plastic credit cards, these metal coins identified the customer that had credit at the store (the reverse has a customer ID number).; Joseph Lowthian Hudson founded the chain of Hudson’s department stores in Detroit, Michigan in 1881. As Detroit grew, Hudson’s moved to its flagship location on 1206 Woodward Avenue in 1911. This location was 25 stories tall and grew to the size of the city block. The department store expanded to other locations and in 1969 was acquired by the Minneapolis based Dayton department store forming the Dayton-Hudson Corporation. In 2000 Dayton-Hudson changed its name to that of its discount retail division – Target. Later the department store division was renamed Marshall Field’s which was then sold to Macy’s in 2006.

Physical Description: metal (overall material)
Measurements: overall: 15/16 in x 1 1/2 in x 1/16 in; 2.38125 cm x 3.81 cm x .15875 cm

See more items in: Work and Industry: Retail and Marketing; Industry & Manufacturing; American Enterprise; Coins, Currency and Medals
Exhibition: American Enterprise
Exhibition Location: National Museum of American History

Comments

Collections