(1694) Token Elephant - Sword in 2nd Quadrant

Coin Details

Auction Record

$18,260 VF25 03-01-2009 Bowers & Merena

Description

This circa 1694 Elephant Token features the distinctive "Sword in 2nd Quadrant" variety on the reverse, where a sword-like device appears in the second quadrant of the design field. Elephant Tokens are among the most iconic and mysterious of all colonial American numismatic items. The obverse displays an elephant facing left, rendered in a somewhat stylized manner that indicates the die cutter was working from a secondhand description or illustration rather than direct observation of an actual elephant. The reverse varies among the different types in the series, with this particular variety bearing the sword device that distinguishes it from the LON/DON, Carolina, and New England varieties. The token measures approximately 29mm in diameter and is struck in copper. The origin and purpose of the Elephant Tokens have been debated for over three centuries. Theories include their production as promotional pieces for one of the colonial trading companies (Royal African Company, Carolina proprietors, or others), as plantation tokens for use in the slave trade, or as general trade tokens for colonial commerce. The elephant device may reference the Royal African Company's use of an elephant in its coat of arms, or it may simply represent the exotic wildlife associated with the trading companies' African operations. Whatever their origin, Elephant Tokens circulated in the American colonies and are found in the archaeological record of colonial-era sites.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. The Sword in 2nd Quadrant variety is one of the scarcer types in the Elephant Token series. Fewer than 50 examples survive.

Cross References

PCGS #64; Breen 193; Hodder; cf. PCGS #67 (LON/DON), PCGS #70 (Carolina), PCGS #76 (New England)