Hello, This is a United States Hard Times Token. Rulau HT-67, Whitman number W-11-330a, Low 48. It is distinguished by having a phoenix rising from ashes on obverse, and May 10, 1837 reverse with the M in MAY touching the acorn. This is a better photo than the listing current in Numista https://en.numista.com/catalogue/exonumia159026.html so I would recommend removing that photo and using this photo which is much sharper. Actually in Numista's HT-67 photo you will note that the M in May does not touch the acorn, so this is really a HT-66. Another reason for using this photo to replace the current one.
Quote: "tpal1961"Hello, This is a United States Hard Times Token. Rulau HT-67, Whitman number W-11-330a, Low 48. It is distinguished by having a phoenix rising from ashes on obverse, and May 10, 1837 reverse with the M in MAY touching the acorn. This is a better photo than the listing current in Numista https://en.numista.com/catalogue/exonumia159026.html so I would recommend removing that photo and using this photo which is much sharper. Actually in Numista's HT-67 photo you will note that the M in May does not touch the acorn, so this is really a HT-66. Another reason for using this photo to replace the current one.
Thanks for your feedback, I made some modification on both pages, please let me know what you mean exactly by Low 48, I guess it's a book but which one?
Regarding the picture I don't get your points, should we remove actual pictures of HT 66 or HT 67 or both?
In the Hard Times (roughly 1832-1844) in the United States of America there was a shortage of coins. Political interests and merchants made these tokens. Most were the same size and metal as large cents, many had Liberty on the obverse like large cents, and they were used as large cents in commerce. For that reason, many are found in circulated condition today and can be found at very reasonable prices. Because of the history behind them and that they were used as coins, I find collecting them fascinating.
From The Official Red Book, A Guidebook of Hard Times Tokens by Q. David Bowers C. 2015, Whitman Publishing:
Lyman H. Low in 1899 published Hard Times Tokens. An Arrangement of Jackson Cents Issued for and Against the United States Bank, commonly known as Hard Timers Tokens. This was updated in 1906. This was the first reference for U. S. Hard Times Tokens and is where the Low # comes from. Some traditionalists still prefer to use these numbers.
Russell Rulau authored Hard Times Tokens, 1832-1844. A complete revision and enlargement of Lyman H. Low's 1899 classic reference. This gives sequential HT numbers for each token and progresses from political tokens through store cards alphabetically by town and state. I like it best, because it sequentially has a simple number for each token, and it is easy for a collector to know what token is referred to. The Sixth Edition , 1996, Krause Publications is used as the reference for Numista. On Numista you can sort by HT number to see a token (if it is in our catalog).
Finally Whitman publishing's The Official Red Book, A Guide Book of Hard Times Tokens by Q. David Bowers C. 2015 is an excellent, currently available catalog with historical information and color photos. It has W numbers according to chapter, and for merchant tokens town and state. It lists HT and Low numbers for each token with a good cross reference for these in the back.
Finally, I see your referral to Tokencatalog.com I can see that using it's number as a link for a token can show a nice picture. I would not recommend using this number as the primary one for listing U.S. Hard Times Tokens in Numista, because there is no sequential order to it.
The nice Hard Times Token you have linked originally, is now listed under: United States-Trade tokens-Business tokens under TC#340903, HT#67, Whitman#W-11-330a. Thank you for making the adjustment. When I look up US, Hard Times Token according to references on Numista, it doesn't show up until at the end of the last page, out of order. All of the other HT Tokens on Numista are listed by HT# in order. I would recommend only using the HT# as the reference number, and if the other numbers are used have them in the internal description. Then it will appear as HT#67 in order.
I also find that most of these Hard Times tokens are listed under United States, Unclassified exonumia, Miscellaneous token.
Thank you for changing the incorrectly labeled HT#67 to it's correct HT#66 on Numista. The one with the less clear photo (there are two identical HT#66's now) should probably be deleted. I will be glad to send that to the duplicate listing notification.
I would suggest leaving them where they are as some are business or trade tokens, but many are political tokens and they belong together. It would be easiest to just move the HT#67 to this area.: United States, Unclassified exonumia, Miscellaneous token.
When I look at the listed Hard Times Tokens on Numista, many have under currency: "United States, Hard Times Tokens" which is very nice. When I add new tokens now, however, that choice does not seem to be available under "currency". Is this choice able to be added back?
Status changed to Done(Jarcek, 28 Jul 2021, 11:39)
The McColl ref in question that is on Numista is the sales catalogue he put together in 1903 (i.e. self-made). It was reprinted in hardcover in 1978.
Other refs are different auctions lists that include the McColl list or at least part of it.
For the current one, added subtitle and place.
Sapientiae plerumque stultitia est comes.
Si c'est un grand plaisir d'être reconnu par ses amis, c'est peut-être encore plus flatteur d'être reconnu par ses adversaires.
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
Status changed to Done(pejounet, 22 Feb 2022, 01:30)
