(1835-8) Token HT-222, New York NY

Coin Details

Description

This New York City token from 1835–38 spans the transition from pre-panic prosperity to Hard Times crisis. The four-year date range indicates either sustained production over multiple years or imprecision in the token's exact date of issue. The merchant identity has not been confirmed in publicly available references. The 1835–38 period in New York City encompassed some of the most dramatic economic events in early American history. The boom years of 1835–36 saw real estate speculation reach frenzied levels, with Manhattan building lots changing hands multiple times at escalating prices. The crash of 1837 brought this speculation to a sudden halt, destroying fortunes and throwing thousands out of work. Merchants who had issued tokens during the boom found that their advertising pieces had become emergency money during the bust. New York tokens from this transitional period are particularly valuable as historical documents, capturing the commercial landscape at the precise moment when prosperity turned to crisis. The merchants documented on these tokens experienced firsthand the economic forces that would reshape American business practices and government financial policy for decades to come.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. NYC merchant token spanning the boom-to-bust transition period.

Cross References

Rulau HT-222