(1834) Copper Token HT-168, Peck & Burnham MA

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,645 MS65 01-08-2014 Heritage Auctions

Description

This 1834 copper token from Peck & Burnham of Massachusetts advertises a manufacturing or mercantile firm that operated in the broader Boston commercial district. The partnership format — two surnames connected by an ampersand — was typical of small American businesses in the 1830s, where combining capital from two or more principals provided the resources needed to establish a commercial enterprise. The token follows the standard merchant Hard Times Token format with a Liberty Head obverse. Peck & Burnham's 1834 date places this token in the early phase of Hard Times Token production, before the Panic of 1837 created widespread demand for private coinage. Early-period Massachusetts merchant tokens were distributed primarily as advertising novelties, though their cent-like size and weight meant they could circulate as small change even before the official coin shortage began. Massachusetts merchants produced a disproportionate number of Hard Times Token varieties relative to the state's population, reflecting both the concentration of metalworking capability in towns like Attleboro and the commercial sophistication of Boston's merchant class. Firms like Peck & Burnham participated in a token-issuing tradition that documented the state's commercial landscape during a transformative economic period.

Rarity Notes

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

Cross References

Rulau HT-168