(1837) Token HT-296, New York NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,380 MS63 09-20-2020 Heritage Auctions

Description

This James G. Moffet token variety features the same brass foundry advertising as the other Moffet issues but with distinct die differences. The token promotes Moffet's range of products including brass sheet, plater's brass, counter railings, and work in gold, silver, and German silver from his foundry at 121 Prince Street, New York. Moffet's business occupied a niche in New York's rapidly growing construction and commercial furnishing industry. Counter railings — the brass barriers that separated bank tellers and office clerks from the public — were essential fixtures in every financial institution and government office. Gas fixtures, which Moffet also manufactured, were replacing oil lamps and candles in progressive commercial and residential buildings during the 1830s, representing one of the major domestic technology transitions of the era. The survival of multiple Moffet token varieties indicates either sustained production or significant collector interest even during the period of issue. Some Hard Times Token merchants produced multiple varieties deliberately, recognizing that collectors were already acquiring these pieces as a specialized pursuit. Others, like Moffet, may simply have replaced worn dies as needed, inadvertently creating the variety distinctions that modern collectors catalog and classify.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Encountered less frequently than the primary HT-295 variety.

Cross References

Rulau HT-296