(1835-37) Copper Token HT-336, Van Nostrand & Dwight NY

Coin Details

Description

This copper token from Van Nostrand & Dwight of New York City advertises the business of this mercantile partnership that operated during the Hard Times era. The firm's token was produced in the standard cent-sized copper format and features the partners' names and business identification, following the conventions established by dozens of New York merchant token issuers during the 1835-1837 period. Van Nostrand & Dwight operated in Lower Manhattan's commercial district, where they participated in the wholesale and retail trade that drove New York's economy. The firm's Dutch-origin surname "Van Nostrand" reflects the continued influence of old Dutch families in New York's business community, even as waves of new immigrants — particularly from Ireland and the German states — were transforming the city's demographic composition during the 1830s. The Van Nostrand & Dwight token circulated in a marketplace where private merchant tokens competed for acceptance alongside official government coinage and tokens from rival businesses. The proliferation of merchant tokens during the Hard Times era created a quasi-monetary system in which consumers routinely evaluated the acceptability and value of private tokens based on the issuing merchant's reputation and the likelihood of being able to redeem or re-spend the token at face value.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Standard copper variety. Rarity R-2.

Cross References

Rulau HT-336