(1835-8) Copper Token HT-221, Atwood's Railroad Hotel NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$5,280 MS64BN 08-22-2021 Heritage Auctions

Description

This copper token from Atwood's Railroad Hotel at 243 Bowery features one of the most visually striking designs in the Hard Times merchant series: an equestrian portrait of George Washington on the obverse. The reverse carries the remarkable inscription "CARRY ME TO ATWOOD'S RAILROAD HOTEL 243 BOWERY AND MY FACE IS GOOD FOR 3 CENTS," making this one of the few Hard Times Tokens with a specified redemption value and one of the most direct advertising pieces in the series. The three-cent redemption value was unusual for Hard Times Tokens, which typically circulated at face value of one cent. The higher denomination indicates that the token was intended as a trade check — redeemable for food, drink, or lodging credit at the hotel — rather than merely as a general-purpose cent substitute. Hotels and taverns frequently issued trade tokens to encourage repeat business, and Atwood's piece served this function while also functioning as a circulating advertisement. The equestrian Washington on the obverse lent patriotic prestige to a commercial establishment, associating Atwood's Railroad Hotel with the nation's founding father and the values of integrity and civic virtue that Washington represented. The "Railroad Hotel" name connected the business to the exciting new technology of rail transportation, which was rapidly transforming American commerce and travel in the 1830s.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. The distinctive Washington equestrian design and 3-cent redemption value make this a highly sought piece. Rarity R-2.

Cross References

Low 75; Rulau HT-221