(1837) Copper Token HT-105, J.M.L & W.H. Scovill CT

Coin Details

Auction Record

$456 MS63BN 08-20-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1837 copper token was produced by J.M.L. and W.H. Scovill of Waterbury, Connecticut, the most prolific manufacturer of Hard Times Tokens. The Scovill Manufacturing Company, founded in 1802, was one of the largest metalworking firms in the United States, specializing in brass buttons, daguerreotype plates, and other copper and brass products. Their entry into the Hard Times Token market around 1835 was a natural extension of their existing capabilities in metalworking and die striking. The obverse and reverse designs of this token incorporate the Scovill name and Waterbury, Connecticut location, effectively serving as both advertising for the company and a functional cent substitute. William Eaves, a skilled die cutter from Birmingham, England — the global center of metalworking and die engraving — was employed by Scovill to produce the high-quality dies that distinguished their tokens from the cruder products of smaller workshops. Scovill's dominance of the Hard Times Token industry is reflected in the sheer volume and variety of their production. They struck approximately 90 distinct token varieties, including their own store cards, political pieces, and tokens produced on commission for merchants and political operatives across the eastern United States. Their Waterbury facility, with its sophisticated rolling mills, cutting presses, and striking equipment, was essentially a private mint capable of producing tokens at industrial scale.

Rarity Notes

Common. Scovill tokens are among the most frequently encountered merchant Hard Times Tokens, reflecting the company's massive production capacity.

Cross References

Low 103; Rulau HT-105