1841 Token WHH 1840-34 Brass Maj. Gen. W.H. Harrison Inaugual

Coin Details

Auction Record

$240 MS64 09-02-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1841 brass token, cataloged as WHH 1840-34, is another variety commemorating William Henry Harrison's inauguration. The multiple varieties of Harrison inaugural tokens reflect the enormous commercial interest in commemorating the transfer of power to the hero of Tippecanoe. Private manufacturers produced these tokens both to capitalize on political enthusiasm and to fill the persistent demand for small-denomination metallic currency. Harrison's brief presidency — the shortest in American history at thirty-one days — gives these inaugural pieces a particular poignancy, as they celebrate the beginning of an administration that barely had time to begin. The WHH 1840-34 catalog number distinguishes this die variety from other inaugural tokens in the series, with differences in design details, lettering, or die characteristics that token collectors carefully document and catalog.

Rarity Notes

Brass, WHH 1840-34. Harrison inaugural variety. Multiple die varieties exist in the WHH series.

Cross References

PCGS #811751; WHH 1840-34; W.H. Harrison Inaugural Token, Brass