Hard Times Tokens Part Two

1
Hard Times Tokens Part Two

• Store Cards

2
The concept of store card tokens goes back to the
1790s in England when British Trade tokens (aka
Conder tokens) were used there.

• In the United States, store cards were being
  issued on large cent-size copper tokens before
  the Era of Hard Times. Russell Rulau, the modern
  authority on US trade tokens includes those
  tokens struck from 1829 through 1844 as part of
  the Hard Times Series.
• During 1837 as the Recession deepened, many
  shop owners accepted store cards for 1 towards
  the purchase of their product even if they
  werent the advertiser this despite the tokens
  probable cost to the proprietor of sixty to
  eighty cents on a dollars worth of tokens..

3
The two foremost authorities on the series were
Lyman H. Low and Russell Rulau.

• Seen at right is the 4th
• edition of Russell Rulaus
• Hard Times Tokens
• based on Lyman Lows
• original 1899 publication.
• This was the last edition
• to use both the Low (L-)
• and Rulaus (HT-)
• numbering system.

4
Hard Times Tokens Rarity Scale

• R-1 common
• R-2 less common
• R-3 Scarce
• R-4 Est. 76 to 200 pieces survive
• R-5 est. 31 75 pieces survive
• R-6 est. 13 to 30 pieces survive
• R-7 est. 4 to 12 pieces survive
• R-8 est. 2 to 3 pieces exist
• R-9 Unique (Only one known)

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Store Cards were issued in a number of states
the majority of them from Massachusetts, New
York and Pennsylvania. The Georgia tokens are
rare!

• This one issued by I. Gilbert of Augusta, GA
  (28½mm) dates from 1829-1833. HT-110, R7,
• (four to twelve known),

6
What makes the store cards portion of the Hard
Times Tokens series so interesting are the almost
limitless design types and varieties.

• Some tokens portrayed famous persons such as
  the Marquis de Lafayette who had died in 1834.
  Others drew upon the contemporary coinage
  designs likenesses to the Coronet Liberty Head,
  Liberty Seated and Spread Eagle. Many more
  displayed an image of their product or service
  while some--with less imagination perhaps--merely
  asked the engraver to inscribe words on both
  sides of the token as to what they were offering.

7
Massachusetts Store CardsLafayette, a friend to
America Freedom

• H M E Richards, Attleboro, MA used Lafayette on
  the obverse to call attention to his
  manufacturing of jewelry .
• HT-150, Low-83, R2

8
Robinsons Jones Co. Button Makers American
Institute medal award 1833Attleboro, Mass.

• Edward Hulseman engraved this and many other
  outstanding political Hard Times Tokens HT-154,
  Low-76 -1833 R1

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Reorganized in 1836 as R W. Robinson, they had
Hulseman strike this token.

• An 1836 Hard Times Store Card, HT-155, Low-104,
  R1 in Red Uncirculated condition. (Rare in this
  grade). Notice the curved lettering on the
  reverse.

10
S.B. SCHENCK, Attleboro, mass.

• A planing machine advertised in 1834,
• HT-157, Low-80, R1

11
Wm H. Milton of Boston, MA operated a clothiers
warehouse in Fanueil Hall which he referred toon
his tokens. as an extensive assortment of
fashionable ready made clothing.

• This inscription only token is a nice Red/Brown
  unc piece. It was struck sometime between 1830
  and 1834 and is cataloged as HT-163, Low-265, R1

12
Wm. H. Milton Co. Boston, Mass.Warehouse
on rev. is larger than preceding.

• This later token dates from 1833 thru 1844. The
  lettering on the obverse is curved. HT-165,
  Low-267 R2

13
Alfred Willard was a wholesaler and retailer of
combs and brushes and perfumes located at 149
Washington Street in downtown Boston

• An Ornate Comb
• HT-171, Low 328, R1 (1835)

14
Francis L. Brigham was a wholesale and retail
dealer in Dry goods in New Bedford, MA.

• The Cheapside Building took up a section of
  Pleasant Street called Market Square and was
  popular with shoppers. 1833 HT-176, L-73 R3

15
Around 1835, John J. Adams of Taunton, MA was
offering Cash for Bristles in order to make his
brushes. He also had an office in Boston.

• Known as the Ugly Boar, the inscribed offer,
  Cash for Bristles on the obv. was the first to
  wear off on this popular token, HT-181, L-300,
  R1.

16
New Jersey Tokens

• There were a number of Hard Times tokens issued
  by New Jersey manufacturers between 1833 and
  1841. Most are scarce to rare and were either the
  standard size struck in copper (i.e., around
  28mm), or closer to the size of a half cent,
  (about 21mm to 23 mm). The three main areas were
  Lakewood and Howell near the central Jersey shore
  and Belleville, located only a few miles
  southwest of New York City. Obverse motifs
  include a bunch of grapes, a rose, a ship, a
  berry plant, an eagle and a cow.

17
The simple Rose Token (1835)

• This token may have been used at the Howell Works
  Garden store. HT-201, Low-163, R3, this specimen
  has all five letters of Token showing, not seen
  on the Rulau plate coin.

18
The 1834 Howell Works Grapes Token.

• The smaller grapes token was struck in 1834.
  Signum is Latin for Sign and implies, perhaps
  meaning a sign of good faith, so the token may
  have had value for the purchase of fruit at the
  Howell Works store HT-200, Low-81, R4

19
The Howell Works, (aka Monmouth Furnace) made
marine engines and was owned by James P. Allaire
where a NJ state park now stands.

• The obverses of the two Howell Works Garden
  tokens side by side.

20
The Allaire State Park in Monmouth County, NJ
contains replicas of the Howell works buildings
and offers a locomotive passenger ride to
visitors.

• The reverses of the Rose and Grapes Howell Works
  Garden tokens side by side.

21
The Bergen Iron Works Tokens

• This 1840 21 mm token, HT-205, Low-142, R2 was
  struck in brass and used by employees at the
  Bergen Iron Works store. The area is the now the
  incorporated town of Lakewood, NJ.

22
Bergen Iron Works Store token with stars

• This 1840 Bergen Iron Works store token was also
  21 mm but struck in copper. It is distinguished
  by stars under the legend.
• HT-205, Low-180, R4

23
Bergen Iron Works with circles

• This 1840 Bergen Iron Works Store token is
  distinguished by tiny circles in place of stars.
  HT-206, Low-143, R4

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Around 1837, Tobias D. Seaman operated a butcher
shop and hotel in Bellville, NJ The first of two
store cards was crude and struck with errors.

• Besides mangling the dies, the engraver
  misspelled the proprietors name
• T DUSEMAN instead of T D SEAMAN.
• HT-204, Low-148, R1, Quite rare XF or better.

25
T. D. Seaman the Butcher of Belleville

• The scarce NJ cow token A Friend to the
  Constitution, HT-204-B, Low-155, R5

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The Store Cards of New York State

• The Hard Times tokens of the Empire State are
  more numerous than any other and many are common
  enough to be collectible by those who like these
  large cent size copper commemoratives. While some
  are from the upstate area, Albany, NYs capital
  and Buffalo to the west, most were struck in New
  York City. As a result, many interesting token
  design types are available at a modest cost to
  the collector.

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The Plough Penny

• Speed the Plough. It feeds all.
• An 1835 Store card issued by Walshs General
  Store, Lansingburgh, NY
• HT-216, Low-99, R1

28
Walshs General Store, located outside of Troy,
NY in Rensselear County was a fixture for 30
years. Alexander Walsh was a friend to Senator
Henry Clay and NY Gov. Dewitt Clinton who built
the Erie Canal.

• He admired the Marquis de Lafayette who died in
  1834 and issued this token the following year in
  his honor. Lansinburgh is missing the G.
• HT-218, Low-101, R1

29
W. A. Thomson, hardware dealer clerk with
Patterson Bros. Hardware thru 1838, opened his
cutlery shop later that year Buffalo, NY. The
Anvil token

• Perhaps the largest copper Hard Times token
  issued 38mm circa 1838-39),
• HT-213, R4

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W.A. Thomson Buffalo, NY

• Anvil and tea kettle, Importers of Hardware
• 33mm circa 1843-44, HT-214, R5, Rare!

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New York City Store Cards

• Henry Andersons Mammoth Boot of 1837
• Chatham Square, NYC HT-219, Low-107 R2

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CENTRE MARKET, NY, NY

• The Centre Market was located in the 14th Ward,
  Manhattan. Aside from a typical obverse, the
  reverse shows a classical Grecian style building
  inscribed CENTRE MARKET ACCOMODATION. HT-239,
  L-110, R1

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H. Crossman Umbrellas HT-243, L-112 R2

• In 1837, Henry Crossmans umbrellas store was
  located at 92½ Chatham St. NYC. He had two store
  cards struck, both using crude replicas of US
  coin type devices Liberty Head and Spread Eagle
  with an umbrella on the reverse of each.

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Henry Crossman Umbrellas HT-244, Low-113 R2

• The second store card featured a small version
  of the Spread eagle obverse, somewhat similar to
  John Reichs that appeared on the reverses of our
  silver coinage.

35
George A. Jarvis operated a wine and tea shop on
the corner of Grand Elm Streets in lower NYC.

• Many dealers placed their advertising message on
  the reverse side of the Liberty Head design. This
  is a nicer example showing E PLURIBUS UNUM on the
  obverse inscrolled above with the 1837 date
  below.
• HT-284, L-123 R1

36
S. MAYCOCK CO. manufactured the ever pointed
pencil case.

• Samuel Maycock and John Hague used the Spread
  Eagle design type dated 1837
• to attract customers to their shop at 35 City
  Hall Place in NYC. HT-290, Low-126 R1

37
The Merchants Exchange

• The Merchant Exchange had this token struck to
  show that they were members of the New York Joint
  Stock Exchange in 1837 with offices at No.6
  Tontine Bldg. on Wall Street.
• HT-294, L-98 R1

38
James G. Moffet

• The Moffet company operated a Sheet metal factory
  at 121 Prince St., NYC. The token dates from
  1837. HT-295, L-321 R2

39
Phalons Barber Shop

• Edward Phalon started out as a hairdresser in
  1834 and by 1837 was already on his way to
  becoming one of NYCs most successful barbers.
  HT-304, Low-127 R2

40
Abraham Rikers shoe store was located at 151
Division St. in NYC.

• The Riker token was struck in 1837 using a
  smaller boot, shoe and slipper on the obverse
  with the famed Millions for Defense, Not one
  centwreath reverse. HT-305, Low-153 R1

41
Robert B. Ruggles Gold Beater

• Ruggles worked with gold, silver, bronze and tin
  foil and made gold crowns for dentists at his
  establishment located at 255 Canal St. NYC.
• HT-307a, Low-273a R3

42
Smiths Clock Establishment was located at No.
7½, the Bowery, New York City in 1837.

• Using a time piece and slogan, TIME IS MONEY,
  Andrew B. Smiths tokens are among the more
  popular of Hard Times Store Cards. There are five
  known varieties.
• The first is catalogued HT-311, L-133, R2

43

• Another Smiths Clock token showing the hour hand
  at left directly at 1000. This is a scarcer
  variety. HT-313, Low-134, R3

44
Notice the hands of each clock.

• HT-311 and HT-313 obverses compared

45
A third Smiths Clock variety

• The obverse of this variety is similar to HT-311
  
• but the reverse shows establishment with curved
  lettering. HT-314, Low-135, R1
• -A common variety but Uncommon in AU.

46
Smith Clock token reverses compared

• HT-311 314 reverses showing
• ESTABLISHMENT
• with straight and curved lettering.

47
A fourth Smith Clock variety

• Notice the ornamentation on the reverse of this
  example. HT-315, Low-136, R1

48
Smiths Clock with no ornaments and with ornaments

• HT-314 315 reverses compared

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The fifth Smiths Clock token variety shows
large ornaments on reverse

• This final example of the five known Smith Clock
  token varieties showing larger ornaments ,
  HT-317, Low 138 R2 is not that common.

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• Smith Clock Tokens HT-315 317 showing small and
  large ornaments on the reverses.

51
C. H. Webb, Congress Hall

• In 1833 and 1834, the Congress Hall was a hotel
  operated by Charles H. Webb for merchants,
  traders and private families. It was located at
  142 Broadway, NYC HT-337, Low-392 R3

52
Bucklins Book Keeping West Troy, NY

• From 1835 to 1837 Isaac B. Bucklin, a school
  teacher taught Bookkeeping along with printing
  and selling Interest tables.
• HT-356, Low 145, R2 (1835)

53
J. C. Peck, Troy, NY

• An (1835) Tin Machine
• The Peck Co. were builders of cotton and
• woolen machinery. HT-363, Low-171 R1

54
N. Starbuck Son, Troy, NY

• A Plough and Screw token
• Starbuck Son operated a machine shop
• HT-368, Low-284 R2 (1835)

55
W. A Handy Tailor, Providence, RI

• The Spread Eagle shines again on this 1834
• W. A Handy store card. His wholesale-retail shop
  was located on Washington Row in Providence.
• HT-427, Low-78 R1

56
Ephraim A. Hathaway Providence, RI

• Coal Grate
• In 1833, Ephraim A. Hathaway supplied anthracite
  and Bituminous coal in Providence, RI.
• HT-428, Low-74 R1

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While the foregoing examples are far from a
complete collection of Hard Times Tokens they
represent a porthole to a past era that included
turbulent times along with numismatic variety.

• The End