Santa Cruz, California luggage Owney tag

Owney, American, c. 1888 - 1897 · 1888-1897

Owney received this token good for “one drink” while visiting the Pacific Ocean House hotel and saloon in Santa Cruz, California. This is a “trade check,” a token that was “good for” free items, or a few cents off of a product. This token also notes that E.J. Swift was the proprietor of the hotel. Swift had passed away by 1892, at a time when Owney was still in the early years of his travels. It is unknown when Owney received this token, but it may likely have been after Swift’s death.