(1837) Token HT-411, Philadelphia PA

Coin Details

Description

This Philadelphia token from 1837 is attributed to a merchant at 113 Market Street, placing it within the city's dense hardware and cutlery merchant district. While the specific merchant name has not been confirmed in available online references, the Market Street address and 1837 date connect this piece to the cluster of hardware importers who dominated this commercial corridor during the Hard Times. The 113 Market Street address was on the lower (eastern) end of Market Street, closer to the Delaware River wharves where imported goods arrived. This location would have been advantageous for a hardware or dry goods importer who needed proximity to both the shipping docks and the wholesale customers who purchased imported merchandise for redistribution throughout the region. Philadelphia's Market Street in 1837 was experiencing the full force of the Panic. Import businesses were particularly vulnerable as international trade contracted, credit dried up, and customers became unable or unwilling to pay their outstanding accounts. The token's issuance during this crisis year indicates a merchant determined to maintain commercial activity despite the economic turmoil.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Philadelphia merchant at 113 Market Street.

Cross References

Rulau HT-411