(1830s) Token HT-E417, Philadelphia, Spayd & Bell PA

Coin Details

Description

This Philadelphia token from Spayd & Bell was cataloged with the "E" prefix indicating discovery after the main Rulau catalog was published. The firm's specific business type has not been documented in available references, but given the concentration of hardware, cutlery, and dry goods merchants in the HT-410-420 catalog range, Spayd & Bell operated in one of these trades. The "E" prefix varieties in the Rulau catalog represent an ongoing process of numismatic discovery. As collections are formed, studied, exhibited, and eventually dispersed through auction, previously unrecorded varieties come to light. Each new discovery expands the catalog and enriches our understanding of the commercial landscape of the Hard Times era. Spayd & Bell's token, undocumented by earlier catalogers, documents yet another Philadelphia business that participated in the token economy of the late 1830s. Philadelphia's token production during the Hard Times was among the most extensive of any American city, rivaling New York in both the number of merchants represented and the variety of token types produced. The continued discovery of new Philadelphia varieties decades after the initial cataloging efforts demonstrates the depth of the city's commercial activity during this period.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Later-cataloged Philadelphia merchant token.

Cross References

Rulau HT-E417