(1835) Copper Token HT-171, Alfred D. Willard MA

Coin Details

Auction Record

$480 MS65BN 08-20-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1835 copper token from Alfred D. Willard of Massachusetts advertises a Boston-area merchant who participated in the growing trend of token advertising during the mid-1830s. The token's standard cent-sized format ensured it would circulate freely in daily commerce, providing repeated advertising impressions each time it changed hands. The obverse features a Liberty Head design that closely mimicked contemporary U.S. large cent designs. Willard's 1835 date places this token at the threshold of the Hard Times period. Business conditions in Massachusetts were generally favorable in 1835 — Boston's commerce was expanding, and the state's manufacturing sector was growing. The token was conceived as an advertising medium during this optimistic period, though it would soon find additional utility as emergency currency when the Panic of 1837 disrupted the money supply. The Willard token exists in both copper (HT-171) and white metal (HT-171A) compositions, indicating that the merchant or his contractor produced tokens in at least two materials. The white metal variety, being less common, was produced in smaller quantities — for special distribution to valued customers or business contacts.

Rarity Notes

Common. Standard copper variety. Rarity R-1 to R-2.

Cross References

Rulau HT-171