(c.1860) Token Sage's Historical No. 14 Copper The Charter Oak

Coin Details

Auction Record

$312 MS65BN 08-31-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Sage's Historical token number 14 in copper depicts the Charter Oak, one of the most famous trees in American history. Located in Hartford, Connecticut, the Charter Oak according to legend concealed the colony's royal charter in 1687 when Sir Edmund Andros, the despotic governor of the Dominion of New England, attempted to seize it. Captain Joseph Wadsworth reportedly hid the charter in the hollow of the ancient oak, preserving Connecticut's self-governing rights. The tree, estimated to have been several hundred years old, fell in a storm on August 21, 1856, just a few years before Sage produced this token. The Charter Oak's destruction made it an even more poignant subject for commemorative numismatics, preserving in metal what could no longer be seen in wood. The tree remains on the Connecticut state quarter issued in 1999.

Rarity Notes

Copper striking. The Charter Oak is a beloved subject in American numismatics. Number 14 is among the higher-numbered and scarcer Sage tokens.

Cross References

PCGS #803570; Sage's Historical Token No. 14, Cu, The Charter Oak