(1837) Copper Token HT-195A, Stk Over GB 1D E.F. Sise & Co. NH

Coin Details

Auction Record

$360 G6BN 08-20-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

This copper E.F. Sise & Co. token is an overstrike on a British George IV penny, creating a numismatic piece that combines American merchant advertising with a British host coin. The underlying penny's design — showing the laureate bust of George IV and the seated Britannia — remains partially visible beneath the merchant die impressions, creating a distinctive layered appearance that makes overstrikes among the most visually interesting Hard Times Token varieties. Overstruck tokens were produced by placing an existing coin between new dies and striking it with sufficient force to impress the new design over the old. This technique saved the cost of producing blank planchets while providing a copper disc of known weight and quality. British pennies were ideal host coins for American token production: their 28mm diameter and approximately 10 gram weight closely matched the specifications of U.S. large cents and most merchant tokens. The Sise overstrike documents the informal monetary connections between Britain and the United States in the 1830s. British copper coins circulated widely in American port cities, accepted by merchants and consumers who valued their copper content regardless of their origin. The transformation of a British penny into an American merchant token literalizes the economic relationship between the two countries.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Overstrike on British penny. Rarity R-3 to R-4.

Cross References

Rulau HT-195A