(1834) Token HT-9, Running Boar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$432 MS65BN 09-11-2019 Heritage Auctions

Description

This 1834 copper token features a running boar on the obverse, one of the most iconic and politically charged images in the Hard Times Token series. The boar or wild pig was used as a satirical representation of either Jackson's opponents or the Bank of the United States itself, depending on the specific design context. The reverse typically features political inscriptions related to the Bank War. The "Running Boar" design appears on several Hard Times Tokens (HT-9 through HT-13R), making it one of the most repeated motifs in the political subseries. The boar was a versatile satirical symbol that could be interpreted multiple ways — as a representation of greed, gluttony, or reckless destruction — qualities that each political faction attributed to the other. Pro-Jackson partisans might see the boar as representing the rapacious Bank, while anti-Jackson forces could read it as commentary on Jackson's bullheaded destruction of the financial system. The copper composition and approximately 28mm diameter made this token virtually interchangeable with the United States large cent in everyday commerce. During the Hard Times period (roughly 1833-1844), the shortage of official small-denomination coinage led to widespread acceptance of privately produced tokens as substitutes, and political tokens like this one served both commercial and propagandistic functions simultaneously.

Rarity Notes

Common. The Running Boar copper tokens are among the more available political Hard Times Tokens.

Cross References

Low 9; Rulau HT-9