(1837) Copper Token HT-195, E.F. Sise & Co. NH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,020 MS65BN 07-17-2019 Heritage Auctions

Description

This 1837 copper token from E.F. Sise & Co. of New Hampshire advertises a mercantile firm that operated during the Hard Times period. The "& Co." designation indicates a partnership or incorporated business with additional principals beyond the named E.F. Sise. The token follows the standard merchant format with business identification on the reverse and a Liberty Head or similar patriotic obverse design. E.F. Sise & Co. produced at least two token varieties — a standard copper striking (HT-195) and an overstruck variety on a British penny (HT-195A). The overstruck version is particularly interesting, as it demonstrates a practice common among token manufacturers of the period: using existing coins as planchets to save the cost of producing blank copper discs. The British penny, with its similar size and weight to the U.S. large cent, was a convenient host coin for this purpose. The use of a British penny as a host coin for an American merchant token creates an unusual numismatic hybrid that documents the circulation of foreign coins in American commerce during the 1830s. British coppers entered the United States through maritime trade, particularly at New England ports, and circulated alongside American cents as unofficial small change.

Rarity Notes

Common. Standard copper variety. Rarity R-1 to R-2.

Cross References

Rulau HT-195