(1832-33) Token HT-254, New York NY

Coin Details

Description

This 1832-1833 copper token is a variety in the Doremus, Suydam & Nixon series, advertising the prominent dry goods importing firm at 39 Nassau Street (later 209 Pearl Street) in New York City. The firm — comprising Thomas C. Doremus, John Suydam, and John Nixon — operated one of the largest wholesale dry goods businesses in antebellum New York, importing European textiles and manufactured goods for redistribution to retailers throughout the eastern United States. Doremus, Suydam & Nixon occupied a commanding position in New York's dry goods trade during the 1830s. Their location near the intersection of Nassau and Pearl Streets placed them at the commercial heart of lower Manhattan's wholesale district, where importers, jobbers, and country merchants converged to transact the fabric and clothing trade that was New York's single largest industry. The firm's extensive token program — spanning multiple varieties and compositions — reflects their substantial advertising budget and commercial ambitions. The multiple die varieties in the Doremus, Suydam & Nixon series document one of the most active token advertising campaigns in the Hard Times era. The firm's investment in advertising tokens was proportionate to their scale of operations — a major wholesale house that supplied dry goods to merchants across multiple states.

Rarity Notes

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

Cross References

Rulau HT-254