(1833-5) Token HT-280B, New York NY

Coin Details

Description

This 1833-1835 copper token is another variant in the B. Hooks series from New York City. Like other Hooks tokens, it features the Benjamin Franklin portrait obverse that distinguishes the series from standard Liberty Head merchant tokens. The multiple variants (HT-280, HT-280A, HT-280B, HT-281A) indicate active production over a multi-year period at Benjamin Hooks' 276 Broome Street establishment. The choice of Benjamin Franklin as the obverse subject resonated with antebellum Americans who revered Franklin as the archetypal self-made businessman — a printer's apprentice who became one of the wealthiest and most respected figures in American history. For a Broome Street merchant, the association with Franklin's commercial virtues served as an implicit endorsement of the values of industry, honesty, and practical wisdom that customers would associate with his business. The Hooks tokens are among a small group of Hard Times merchant pieces that feature identifiable historical portraits rather than generic Liberty Head designs. This distinctive approach to token design makes the Hooks series particularly collectible and visually interesting within the broader merchant token category.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Standard copper variant with Franklin obverse. Rarity R-3.

Cross References

Rulau HT-280B