(1833) Copper Token HT-175, Francis L. Brigham MA

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,800 MS63BN 08-20-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1833 copper token from Francis L. Brigham of Massachusetts advertises a merchant or manufacturer who operated in the New Bedford area. Brigham issued at least two die varieties (HT-175 and HT-176) plus a silvered copper variant (HT-176A), indicating a sustained commitment to token advertising. The 1833 date places these among the earlier Hard Times Token issues, produced before the economic crisis that gave the series its name. New Bedford in the 1830s was at the height of its prosperity as the world's leading whaling port. The wealth generated by the whaling industry supported a thriving mercantile community, and merchants like Brigham served the needs of both the maritime industry and the town's increasingly affluent residential population. The economic confidence of pre-panic New Bedford is reflected in the production of advertising tokens — an investment that presupposed continuing commercial prosperity. A full obverse brockage error variety exists for HT-175, where the obverse die struck both sides of the planchet. This mint error is highly prized by collectors as evidence of the production process used by the token manufacturer, and it demonstrates that token striking, while competent, did not always achieve the quality control standards of the U.S. Mint.

Rarity Notes

Common. Standard copper variety. Also exists as full brockage error. Rarity R-1 to R-2.

Cross References

Rulau HT-175