(1850s) Token Miller Conn-14 Copper J.E. Bassett & Co.

Coin Details

Description

John E. Bassett (born c.1830) operated a tool and hardware store at 236 Chapel Street in New Haven, Connecticut. The business was originally founded in 1784 by Titus Street, making it one of the oldest hardware stores in the United States — reputed to be the oldest, with an example in the Smithsonian Institution. Bassett's copper token (Miller Conn-14) features an ice skate, reflecting the store's inventory of sporting goods alongside traditional tools and hardware. The token advertises a firm with deep roots in New Haven's commercial history, spanning from the early Republic through the Civil War era. The copper composition provided excellent durability for everyday handling. Merchant tokens in copper circulated freely alongside federal cents, and the familiar reddish-brown metal ensured ready acceptance in local commerce. Cataloged as Miller Conn-14 in the standard reference for American merchant tokens. This token type is part of a broader tradition of private American coinage stretching from colonial times through the Civil War era.

Rarity Notes

Copper striking, the standard metal for merchant tokens of this period. Miller Conn-14.

Cross References

Miller Conn-14