(c.1851) Token Miller Ohio-9 Copper Dodd & Co., Hatters

Coin Details

Description

Dodd & Co. were hatters at 144 Main Street in Cincinnati, Ohio. The firm was the first Cincinnati hatter to manufacture fine hats that competed with eastern cities, breaking the regional monopoly that New York and Philadelphia hat makers had maintained. Their tokens (Miller Ohio-8 through Ohio-10) in brass, copper, and silvered brass advertised this competitive achievement. Cincinnati was the largest city in Ohio and a major manufacturing center known as the "Queen of the West," making it a natural market for a high-quality hat manufacturer seeking to establish local production. Struck in copper, this token matched the federal large cent in appearance and weight, making it immediately recognizable to the public. Copper remained the dominant planchet choice for merchant tokens throughout the antebellum and Civil War periods. Cataloged as Miller Ohio-9 in the standard reference for American merchant tokens. Tokens of this type are collected both as numismatic objects and as historical documents of 19th century American business.

Rarity Notes

Copper striking, the standard metal for merchant tokens of this period. Miller Ohio-9. Hatters issued 3 known token varieties.

Cross References

Miller Ohio-9