(1833) Copper Token HT-153, Robinson's Jones & Co. MA

Coin Details

Description

This 1833 copper token from Robinson's Jones & Co. of Attleboro, Massachusetts represents one of the most important metalworking dynasties in the Attleboro jewelry district. The Robinson family — particularly Roswell and William Robinson — were among the earliest manufacturers to establish the jewelry and button trade that defined Attleboro's economy for over a century. The firm produced a wide range of small metal goods including buttons, buckles, clasps, and inexpensive jewelry. The "Jones & Co." in the firm name reflects a business partnership or retail arrangement associated with the Robinson manufacturing operations. Attleboro manufacturers frequently operated under multiple firm names as partnerships formed, dissolved, and reformed — a pattern common in early American manufacturing towns. The token itself, struck in their own facility, served simultaneously as an advertisement and a demonstration of their metalworking capabilities. Robinson's Jones & Co. tokens are among the earliest dated in the Attleboro Hard Times Token series, predating the main wave of token production that accompanied the Panic of 1837. Their 1833 date indicates the tokens were initially produced more as advertising novelties than as emergency currency substitutes.

Rarity Notes

Common. Standard copper Attleboro issue. Rarity R-1 to R-2.

Cross References

Low 74; Rulau HT-153