(1838) Token HT-81, Am I Not a Woman

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,680 MS64BN 08-22-2021 Heritage Auctions

Description

This 1838 copper token is one of the most historically significant pieces in the entire Hard Times Token series. The obverse depicts a kneeling female slave in chains with arms raised in supplication, surrounded by the legend "AM I NOT A WOMAN & A SISTER 1838." The reverse shows a wreath with "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "LIBERTY 1838," creating a pointed contrast between the nation's founding ideals and the reality of human bondage. The design is adapted from Josiah Wedgwood's famous 1787 antislavery medallion "Am I Not a Man and a Brother," which depicted a male slave in a similar pose. The medallion was created for the London-based Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade and became one of the most widely recognized symbols of the abolitionist movement. The American adaptation, featuring a female figure, extended the antislavery message to address the particular suffering of enslaved women. This token circulated as both currency and propaganda during a period of intense national debate over slavery. The American Anti-Slavery Society, founded in 1833 by William Lloyd Garrison and others, was at the height of its campaign for immediate emancipation. The token's dual function — practical medium of exchange and moral argument — made it a remarkably effective tool for spreading abolitionist sentiment through the everyday transactions of commercial life.

Rarity Notes

Common. The "Am I Not A Woman & A Sister" token is one of the most widely collected Hard Times Tokens, popular with collectors of both numismatics and African American history.

Cross References

Low 54; Rulau HT-81; related to Wedgwood antislavery medallion (1787)