(1825) Copper Token Rulau Del-2, J. Randel Jr. DE

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,440 AU Details 06-09-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Copper token issued by John Randel Jr. of Delaware, 1825. Randel (1787-1865) was a celebrated civil engineer best known for surveying the street grid of Manhattan under the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, physically laying out the future avenues and cross-streets from Houston Street to 155th Street. In 1824 he contracted to construct the eastern section of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, employing a workforce of 700 men and 154 teams of horses by September 1825. The token bears the inscription J. RANDEL JR. / 1825 / C. & D. CANAL and commemorates his canal construction work in the state. This is one of only two Delaware pieces in the Rulau catalog. Randel later won one of the largest breach-of-contract awards of the era against the C&D Canal Company, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Copper, 23mm. This piece is part of the diverse Rulau Miscellaneous series encompassing tokens that fall outside the major thematic categories.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. One of only two pre-Civil War Delaware tokens in the entire Rulau catalog, making it one of the key pieces for collectors seeking complete state representation. Randel's connection to the Manhattan street grid survey adds historical cachet. Fewer than a dozen examples are recorded. Delaware exonumia from this period commands significant premiums.

Cross References

Rulau Del-2; PCGS #842824