(1831-35) Copper Token HT-170, William Rutter MA

Coin Details

Description

This copper token from William Rutter of Massachusetts, dated 1831-1835, advertises a merchant or manufacturer who operated during the early phase of the Hard Times Token era. The token follows the standard format with a cent-sized copper planchet bearing the merchant's name and business information, designed to circulate alongside U.S. large cents and other privately issued tokens in daily commercial transactions. William Rutter's token is part of the Massachusetts group that includes both Attleboro manufacturers and Boston-area merchants. The relatively large 30mm diameter — slightly bigger than the standard 28-28.5mm used by most merchant token issuers — distinguishes this piece visually from standard cent-sized tokens and may reflect a deliberate choice to make the token more noticeable and memorable. Massachusetts merchants who issued tokens during the 1831-1835 period were among the earliest participants in what would become the Hard Times Token phenomenon. These pre-panic tokens established the precedent for private token coinage that proved invaluable when the Panic of 1837 created a genuine need for circulating small change to supplement scarce federal copper cents.

Rarity Notes

Common. Standard copper variety. Rarity R-1 to R-2.

Cross References

Rulau HT-170