(1841-44) Token HT-128, N. Orleans LA

Coin Details

Description

This brass token from Walton & Co., hardware merchants and ship chandlers at No. 17 New Levee, New Orleans, represents the final evolution of the Hall/Walker/Walton business succession at this address. By 1841, both Hall and Walker had departed the partnership, leaving Walton as sole proprietor of the hardware and ship chandlery operation. The obverse reads "Walton & Co. No. 17, New Levee, New Orleans" with decorative flowers, while the reverse identifies the business as "Hardware Merchants and Ship Chandlers." The 1841–44 date range places this token at the end of the Hard Times era, when New Orleans' economy was slowly recovering from the devastating effects of the Panic of 1837 on the cotton trade. The Mississippi River commerce that sustained ship chandleries like Walton & Co. had contracted severely during the crisis years but was gradually rebuilding as cotton prices stabilized and steamboat traffic resumed its growth. The three-token succession from Hall, Walker & Walton (HT-121, 1834) through Walton, Walker & Co. (HT-129, 1836) to Walton & Co. (HT-128, 1841–44) documents the dissolution of a partnership over a decade—a common pattern as the economic pressures of the Hard Times forced business reorganizations. Walton's persistence as the surviving partner indicates he had the deepest commitment to and resources for the chandlery business.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Brass, 33mm. Final issue in the Hall/Walker/Walton succession at 17 New Levee.

Cross References

Rulau HT-128