(1835) Token HT-358, West Troy NY

Coin Details

Description

This 1835 copper token from West Troy (now Watervliet), New York is another piece from the upper Hudson Valley's commercial economy. Like HT-357A, this token carries a West Troy attribution that connects it to the manufacturing community on the west bank of the Hudson River across from Troy. The token may be associated with Isaac Bucklin's advertising campaign or represent an independent West Troy merchant. West Troy's economy in the 1830s was shaped by the Watervliet Arsenal — a federal armory established in 1813 — and various private manufacturing enterprises that benefited from the same water power and transportation access that drove Troy's industrial growth. The community's workers and merchants constituted a distinct commercial market that West Troy tokens helped serve. Tokens from West Troy are less common than Troy issues in the Hard Times series, making them interesting geographic variants for collectors who pursue comprehensive coverage of the upper Hudson Valley's commercial token production.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. West Troy issue. Rarity R-3.

Cross References

Rulau HT-358