(1835) Copper Token HT-347, O.&P. Boutwell

Coin Details

Auction Record

$5,875 XF40 08-12-2015 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1835 copper token from O. & P. Boutwell of Troy, New York advertises the bakery and confectionery operated by Oliver and Phardice Boutwell at 7 Grand Division Street. The Boutwells produced bread, cakes, pastries, and confections for Troy's growing population, operating a retail shop that combined baking with candy-making — a common combination in antebellum American cities where bakers and confectioners shared similar equipment and ingredients. Grand Division Street placed the Boutwell bakery in Troy's commercial heart, near the busy River Street corridor where wholesale and retail trade concentrated. Bakeries occupied an essential role in the daily life of a nineteenth-century city, providing fresh bread and baked goods to households that might not have reliable ovens. Confectionery — candies, sugar work, and fancy pastries — catered to a more affluent clientele and represented the higher-margin segment of the baking trade. The Boutwell token's single variety contrasts with the multi-variety programs of their Troy contemporaries like Bucklin and Starbuck, reflecting the smaller scale of a neighborhood bakery operation compared to a machine shop or publishing business. Nevertheless, the token provided effective local advertising, keeping the Boutwell name in circulation among the customers who passed through Troy's commercial district daily.

Rarity Notes

Common. Standard copper variety. Rarity R-2.

Cross References

Rulau HT-347