(1835) Copper Token HT-425, Clark & Anthony RI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$384 MS64RB 08-20-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1835 copper token from Clark & Anthony, jewelers and watchmakers at 25-27 Cheapside in Providence, Rhode Island, features a standing portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette on the obverse. The inscription "LAFAYETTE, A FRIEND TO AMERICA & FREEDOM DIED MAY 20 1834" commemorates the death of the French hero of the American Revolution, leveraging public admiration for Lafayette to draw attention to the merchant's business identified on the reverse. Lafayette's death on May 20, 1834, prompted an outpouring of national grief in the United States. The marquis had been granted honorary American citizenship, and his triumphant return tour of the country in 1824-1825 had generated enormous public enthusiasm. Token makers quickly recognized the commercial potential of Lafayette commemorative pieces, as the general's image carried both patriotic prestige and emotional resonance with the American public. Clark & Anthony's location on Cheapside — a street name borrowed from London's famous commercial thoroughfare — placed them in one of Providence's primary retail districts. The pairing of a Lafayette commemorative obverse with a commercial reverse was a common strategy among merchant token issuers, who recognized that patriotic or commemorative imagery increased the likelihood that recipients would retain the token as a keepsake, extending its advertising value beyond immediate commercial circulation.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. The Lafayette commemorative design makes this a sought-after piece among multiple collector groups.

Cross References

Low 162; Rulau HT-425