(1835-8) Token HT-300, German-Silver N.Y. & Harlaem Railroad Co. NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,640 AU53 08-20-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

This German silver New York & Harlem Railroad token variety differs from HT-299 in die details while sharing the same composition and basic design. The horse-drawn rail car obverse and railroad identification reverse follow the standard pattern established across the NY & Harlem token series, with die-cutting variations distinguishing individual catalog numbers. The multiple varieties of NY & Harlem Railroad tokens (HT-298 through HT-301) suggest that these pieces served a practical transportation function rather than being purely promotional, as a transit company would have needed larger quantities of tokens than a typical merchant advertising campaign. Horse-drawn street railroads of the 1830s charged fares as low as one or two cents for short rides, making cent-sized tokens ideal fare media. The street railroad represented a revolution in urban transportation, enabling working people to live at greater distances from their places of employment and thereby contributing to the outward expansion of American cities. Before the railroads, most workers walked to their jobs and lived in crowded neighborhoods near workshops and factories. The ability to commute by rail opened new residential areas and fundamentally changed the geography of urban life.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. German silver die variant. Rarity R-3 to R-4.

Cross References

Rulau HT-300