(1842-43) Token HT-127, N. Orleans, Valeton & Co. LA

Coin Details

Description

This brass token from Valeton & Co. of New Orleans is cataloged as unique—only one specimen is known to exist. The token appeared in the legendary Donald G. Partrick Collection, one of the most comprehensive Hard Times token assemblages ever formed, sold by Heritage Auctions in 2020. The specific business of Valeton & Co. has not been documented in available references. The firm's French-sounding name is characteristic of New Orleans' Creole commercial community, which maintained strong cultural and business ties to France throughout the antebellum period. Commission merchants, sugar factors, cotton brokers, and import-export firms with French or French-Creole proprietors were a distinctive feature of New Orleans commerce, operating alongside American, German, and Irish merchants in the city's remarkably cosmopolitan business environment. As a unique specimen, this token represents the ultimate rarity in the Hard Times series. Its survival through nearly two centuries of handling, storage, and collection transfers is remarkable. The token's passage through the Partrick Collection places it in the lineage of America's greatest numismatic collections and ensures its provenance is well-documented for future generations of collectors.

Rarity Notes

Unique. Only one specimen known. Brass, plain edge. Ex-Donald G. Partrick Collection.

Cross References

Rulau HT-127