2017-07-19 Wed

A collection of Hard Times tokens were offered by Stack’s Bowers Galleries on 21st June at the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Expo in Baltimore. These privately issued cent-sized tokens were produced from 1832 to 1844. These are categorised into two types; store cards were issued by merchants while tokens featured political messages. One of the offered tokens was an Undated (1829 to 1830) Wright & Bale, New York, Hard Times token, graded AU-55 and was sold for $16,450.

The token features an amazing portrait of Benjamin Franklin. Wright & Bale was a partnership between two engravers. The text on the reverse was a business card to advertise their services. It was earlier a part of a collection of the Long Island Public Library and was removed from there later.