(1830s) Token HT-375B, Cincinnati OH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$3,408 MS64 08-10-2016 Heritage Auctions

Description

This 1830s copper token is a variant in the P. Evens merchant tailor series from Cincinnati, Ohio. Platt Evens operated a premier tailoring establishment at 149 Main Street, where he was known for importing fine European fabrics and maintaining Cincinnati's most fashionable shop. Evens is credited with installing the first plate glass display windows in Cincinnati — a commercial innovation that allowed passersby to view merchandise from the sidewalk and transformed the retail experience. The HT-375B variant extends the Evens token series beyond the standard copper (HT-375) and brass (HT-375A) varieties, indicating a multi-composition production program. Evens' investment in multiple token varieties reflects his position as one of Cincinnati's most prominent and prosperous merchants — a man whose advertising budget matched his commercial ambitions. Cincinnati in the 1830s was the largest city in the American West, nicknamed "Queen of the West" and later "Porkopolis" for its dominant meatpacking industry. The city's wealthy merchant class created demand for the kind of high-end tailoring that Evens provided — imported woolens, silks, and the latest European fashions interpreted for American taste.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Copper variant of the Evens tailor series. Rarity R-3.

Cross References

Rulau HT-375B