Brass daguerreian advertising token issued by M.A. Root, one of the most influential figures in early American photography. One side reads “FIRST PREMIUM AWARDED TO ROOT & CO FOR BEST DAGUERREOTYPE,” commemorating Root’s recognition for photographic excellence. The reverse advertises “M.A. Root’s Daguerreian Gallery, 140 Chestnut St., Philadelphia,” identifying the location of his well-known studio.

Root was a pioneering daguerreotypist, author, publisher, and promoter of photographic education, and his Philadelphia gallery was among the most respected in the United States during the 1850s. Tokens such as this functioned both as advertising pieces and as statements of professional credibility at a time when photographic standards and reputations were still being established.

A well-preserved example of early photographic ephemera, directly associated with the commercial and technical development of daguerreotype practice in America. Scarce survivor from the formative period of professional photography, and highly desirable to collectors of daguerreian, photographic history, and 19th-century trade tokens.