(1835-44) Token HT-166A, Boston MA

Coin Details

Description

This 1835-1844 token is a variant of HT-166 in the Wm. H. Milton & Co. series from Boston, completing the known variety sequence for this long-running merchant token program. The "A" suffix indicates a composition or die variation from the standard HT-166 type, adding another collectible variety to one of Boston's most extensive merchant token series. The complete Milton set — HT-163 through HT-166A, encompassing multiple die varieties and compositions across more than a decade — represents one of the most ambitious merchant token advertising programs in the Hard Times era. The investment in this sustained campaign implies genuine commercial return from token advertising, validating the medium's effectiveness for a Boston retailer operating in a competitive market. Milton's tokens circulated primarily in the greater Boston area but traveled farther through the commercial networks that connected New England's ports and manufacturing centers. Each token served as a portable advertisement for the Milton firm, carrying its commercial message wherever trade and travel moved the small copper and composition pieces.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Composition variant. Rarity R-3.

Cross References

Rulau HT-166A