(1832) Brass Token HT-1A, Andrew Jackson

Coin Details

Description

This brass variety of the 1832 Andrew Jackson "Bank Must Perish" token shares the same dies as the copper HT-1 but was struck on a brass planchet, giving it a distinctive golden-yellow appearance. The obverse depicts Jackson's bust facing left with "ANDREW JACKSON PRESIDENT," while the reverse shows a running donkey with "THE BANK MUST PERISH" and the date 1832. Brass strikings of Hard Times Tokens were typically produced in smaller quantities than their copper counterparts. The use of brass was deliberate — giving the token a gold-like appearance that played on the political debates about hard money versus paper currency that defined the Jacksonian era. Jackson and his supporters advocated strongly for "hard money" (gold and silver coinage) over the paper banknotes issued by the Second Bank and state-chartered banks, which they viewed as inflationary and unstable. The token's anti-Bank message resonated with Jackson's agrarian and working-class base, who blamed Nicholas Biddle's institution for economic instability and currency manipulation. The brass composition makes this variety scarcer than its copper counterpart and commands a premium among collectors of Hard Times Tokens and political Americana.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Brass strikings are significantly rarer than the copper version. Low-5 rarity in brass.

Cross References

Low 1; Rulau HT-1A; DeWitt CE-1832-19