(1837) Token HT-240, New York NY

Coin Details

Description

This copper token depicts the Centre Market in the 14th Ward of New York City, with a Liberty Head obverse surrounded by thirteen stars and the date 1837. The reverse shows a pillared building with "CENTRE MARKET ACCOMMODATION" inscription. The token served as an accommodation piece—essentially store credit or an advertising token—for the public market that served Manhattan's mid-town neighborhoods. Centre Market was one of New York's municipal public markets where vendors rented stalls to sell meat, produce, fish, and other provisions directly to consumers. These markets were essential institutions in early American cities, providing regulated spaces where food quality and weights could be inspected and where prices reflected genuine supply and demand rather than individual merchants' markups. The 14th Ward location placed Centre Market in a growing residential area north of the established lower Manhattan commercial district. The "accommodation" designation on the reverse indicates this token had a specific commercial function within the market— redeemable for a standard measure of goods, a specific service, or simply accepted at face value by all vendors within the market house. Public market tokens are among the most historically informative Hard Times pieces, documenting the everyday food distribution system that fed American cities before the rise of grocery stores.

Rarity Notes

Rarity R-1 (common). Copper, approximately 28mm. Centre Market accommodation token.

Cross References

Rulau HT-240