(1859) Token W-15960 Copper Kenney-6 Idler Copy

Coin Details

Auction Record

$780 MS62RB 11-10-2018 Heritage Auctions

Description

This copper token cataloged as W-15960 and Kenney-6 is another Idler copy, produced by Harold Idler of Philadelphia during the late 1850s. The Kenney reference provides an alternative catalog system for Idler's productions, with Kenney-6 identifying this specific die variety within Idler's known output. The copper composition places this between the common white metal and the scarce silver versions in terms of both production quantity and collector desirability. Idler was active during a formative period in American numismatics when collecting colonial and early American coins was transitioning from an aristocratic hobby to a broader popular pursuit, and his copies served the growing market of collectors who wanted representative examples of rare colonial types without paying the already-substantial premiums commanded by originals. The W-15960 catalog number in the Whitman reference system and the Kenney-6 cross-reference allow collectors to precisely identify this variety across multiple standard references. Idler's craftsmanship was respected by his contemporaries, and his pieces were openly sold as copies rather than presented as originals.

Rarity Notes

Idler copy in copper, cataloged in both the W and Kenney reference systems. Copper strikings occupy the middle tier of Idler production quantities. Moderately scarce in numismatic channels.

Cross References

PCGS #534663; W-15960; Kenney-6; Idler copy