(1835) Token HT-136, Baltimore MD

Coin Details

Description

This Baltimore token from 1835 follows the James Cole Fells Point attribution (HT-135/135A) in the Rulau catalog sequence. The sequential numbering and shared date suggest a connection to Baltimore's maritime commercial district, though the specific merchant identity has not been confirmed in available references. Baltimore in 1835 was experiencing the final years of economic expansion before the Panic of 1837 would devastate the city's commerce. The year marked a period of speculative growth when merchants expanded their operations, extended credit liberally, and invested in new ventures—activities that would prove ruinous when the financial crisis struck two years later. Tokens issued during this prosperous period served more as advertising novelties than as desperate substitutes for scarce coinage. The 1835 date places this token among the earliest Baltimore merchant pieces, predating the worst of the Hard Times and the peak period of token production in 1837–38. Early-dated tokens are generally less common than those from the crisis years, as the motivation to produce cent substitutes was less urgent when coins still circulated freely.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Pre-panic Baltimore merchant token from 1835.

Cross References

Rulau HT-136