(1837) Copper Token HT-249, J.H. Dayton NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$432 MS62BN 08-20-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1837 copper token from J.H. Dayton advertises the business of this New York City merchant during the Panic of 1837. Dayton operated in the competitive retail landscape of Lower Manhattan, where hundreds of small merchants served the daily needs of the city's rapidly growing population. The token follows the standard format of NYC merchant Hard Times Tokens, combining the merchant's name with cent-like dimensions for seamless commercial circulation. The Dayton token was one of hundreds of merchant tokens issued in New York City during 1837, the peak year of Hard Times Token production. The convergence of severe coin shortage, bank suspension of specie payment, and general economic disruption created both the need for private token currency and the opportunity for merchants to embed their advertising in the circulating medium. New York, as the nation's commercial capital, produced more Hard Times Token varieties than any other city. J.H. Dayton's business, like most small retail enterprises of the period, left few documentary traces beyond this token and possible directory listings. The token itself serves as the primary evidence of Dayton's existence and commercial activity during a period that saw both the rapid growth and the traumatic contraction of New York's mercantile economy.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Standard copper merchant token. Rarity R-2.

Cross References

Rulau HT-249