(1841) Silver Token HT-60A, PE Not One Cent

Coin Details

Description

This silver 1841 token features the "Not One Cent" design with the PE (Plain Edge) designation, indicating a smooth rather than reeded edge treatment. The combination of silver composition and plain edge creates a distinctly different tactile experience from the more common copper reeded-edge versions. Edge treatments on Hard Times Tokens provide important diagnostic information about production methods and intended purposes. Reeded edges, created by a grooved collar die during striking, added a security feature that made the token more difficult to counterfeit and provided a coin-like feel. Plain edges, struck without a collar or with a smooth collar, produced a simpler piece that was faster and cheaper to manufacture but lacked the anti-counterfeiting protection of reeding. The plain edge on a silver striking indicates that this piece was produced quickly or without access to a reeded collar die, or that the manufacturer deliberately chose a plain edge for aesthetic reasons. Silver tokens from this period are rare regardless of edge type, and the plain edge designation adds an additional variant category that researchers use to distinguish among the various strikings of each die combination.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Silver plain-edge variant with extremely limited surviving population.

Cross References

Low 43; Rulau HT-60A