(1842) Token HT-399A, Philadelphia, C.W. Bender PA

Coin Details

Description

This token is a variant of the C.W. Bender Star Hotel issue from 71 Dock Street, Philadelphia. Like HT-399, it advertises Bender's establishment in Philadelphia's waterfront hotel district, but differs in edge type or metal composition. The Star Hotel served the maritime trade along Dock Street, where ships arriving on the Delaware River brought a steady flow of travelers requiring overnight accommodation. Philadelphia's Dock Street district in the 1840s was the commercial heart of the city's shipping industry. The street connected the wharves directly to the city's wholesale markets, making it an ideal location for a hotel catering to merchants and ship captains conducting business at the nearby counting houses and warehouses. Bender positioned his hotel to capture this commercial traffic. The variant designation reflects differences in striking characteristics from the primary HT-399 issue. Both pieces share the same basic design identifying C.W. Bender's Star Hotel, but collectors distinguish them by edge treatment, planchet thickness, or metal composition variations that occurred during the token's production run.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Sub-variety of the C.W. Bender Star Hotel token.

Cross References

Rulau HT-399A