(1838-39) Copper Token HT-212, Patterson Brothers

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,140 AU58BN 11-18-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1838-1839 copper token from Patterson Bros. advertises a hardware firm in Buffalo, New York — not New York City as sometimes cataloged. The Patterson brothers operated in Buffalo's rapidly growing commercial district, selling hardware, tools, and building supplies to a city that was booming as the western terminus of the Erie Canal. Buffalo's position as the gateway between the eastern canal system and the Great Lakes shipping routes generated enormous demand for hardware and construction materials. Buffalo in the late 1830s was transitioning from a frontier trading post to a major commercial city. The completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 had transformed Buffalo into one of America's most important transshipment points, and the city's population was growing rapidly as merchants, laborers, and entrepreneurs arrived to capitalize on the western trade. Hardware dealers like the Patterson brothers supplied the tools, nails, chains, and fittings needed for both commercial construction and the westward-bound settlers who outfitted in Buffalo before continuing their journey. The Patterson Bros. token exists in at least two die varieties (HT-212 and HT-212A), indicating sustained commercial activity. Buffalo tokens are uncommon in the Hard Times series, making these pieces particularly interesting as documents of western New York's commercial development during the canal era.

Rarity Notes

Common. Standard copper variety from Buffalo NY. Rarity R-2.

Cross References

Rulau HT-212