(1836) Token HT-145, Baltimore on Prussia Thaler MD

Coin Details

Description

This Houck's Panacea counterstamp on a Prussian thaler adds another European host coin to the already diverse Houck series. The Prussian thaler, a major Central European trade coin, occasionally appeared in American commerce through the immigration and trade connections that linked the German states to American port cities, including Baltimore with its substantial German immigrant community. The 28mm diameter of the Prussian thaler made it comparable in size to a U.S. quarter dollar, providing adequate space for the Houck's Panacea counterstamp while being smaller than the preferred half dollar hosts. The appearance of a German coin in the Houck series indicates either opportunistic counterstamping of whatever coins were available or deliberate targeting of coins circulating in Baltimore's German immigrant neighborhoods. Baltimore's German-American community was among the largest in the United States during the 1830s, concentrated in neighborhoods around Lexington Market and east of the Jones Falls. German immigrants maintained commercial ties with their homeland and received monetary remittances that sometimes included European coins, providing a channel through which Prussian thalers and other German coins could enter Baltimore's commercial circulation.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Prussian thaler host is extremely uncommon, with only a handful of examples documented. Rarity R-7.

Cross References

Rulau HT-145; Brunk H-768