(1844-6) Token HT-245A, New York, W.D. Crumbie NY

Coin Details

Auction Record

$99 MS62 06-05-2019 Heritage Auctions

Description

This New York City token from 1844–46 mentions W.D. Crumbie, providing a merchant attribution for this late Hard Times piece. The Crumbie name appears in connection with New York commercial activity during the post-panic recovery period, though the specific business type has not been documented in publicly available references. The identification of a merchant name on this variant adds significant value for collectors and researchers, transforming an anonymous NYC token into a documented commercial artifact. W.D. Crumbie's decision to issue or endorse a token during the 1844–46 period indicates either continued usefulness of tokens in local commerce or a personal interest in numismatic advertising that extended beyond the period of monetary necessity. Late-period merchant tokens with identified issuers are particularly useful for historical research, as they can be cross-referenced with contemporary city directories, tax records, and newspaper advertisements to build detailed profiles of the businesses that participated in the Hard Times token economy.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. W.D. Crumbie NYC merchant token from 1844-46.

Cross References

Rulau HT-245A