Post Pics Of Your Hard Times Tokens

I think this is a hard times token.

I think you're correct. I'm reading an article on them and that design looks familiar.





We were both looking at them at the same time. Great minds think alike! Cool coin!

Here's the coin I almost bid on but chickened out.

Many counterstamped coins have been listed as Hard Times tokens, and there are many more that have yet to be listed as such. Sadly, the recent book by Dave Bowers ignored virtually all the ones that Rulau had previously listed. Also, Dave expressed no interest in list newly discovered pieces, of which I've found many.

Both Rulau (2004) and Brunk (2003) listed the below counterstamp issue by J. LYNE, but neither author had then attributed them. There were then but eight specimens known, on various copper and brass hosts. As the latest dated host is 1832, this issue appears to reside solidly in the Hard Times era, being 1832-44.

John Lyne was a coppersmith, working in Harrisburg, PA as early as 1814. Although Rulau had randomly listed Lyne as working in that occupation, he had apparently not made the connection with this counterstamp. I had sent him fifteen pages of info on counterstamp issues, but his book was so large, and the timing may have prohibited his use of the info I sent.

Here are two of the Lyne HT specimens from my collection ....

HT17

Nice Fuzzy!

@Mike F .... The Hard Times issues, be they struck tokens or counterstamped pieces are all ones that can be shown to have been produced between 1832-44. Rulau's Standard Catalog of United States Tokens 1700-1900 defined the token eras as follows:

Early American Tokens ...... 1694-1832

Hard Times Tokens .......... 1833-1844

U.S. Merchant Tokens ....... 1845-1860

Civil War Tokens ........... 1861-1865

U.S. Trade Tokens .......... 1866-1889

Gay Nineties Tokens ........ 1890-1900

While these years aren't engraved in stone, they generally define each token era. IMHO, anyone interested in American tokens would find Rulau's books invaluable reference works.

With regard to the counterstamped coins, research can often demonstrate when any particular issuer was in business. Here's but one of many, slam-dunk examples of a Hard Times counterstamp that's as yet unlisted .... DAY, NEWELL & DAY on an 1805 Large Cent:






The second image above is that of Day, Newell & Day's struck Hard Times token which, itself, is a relatively rare issue. To date, I've seen but one of their counterstamps; this, in decades of searching.

Here are my database notes on Day, Newell & Day .... William Day, Robert Newell & John Day were partners from 1833-42. They were located at 589 Broadway and made some of the best safes of their day. Robert invented the lock which was their hallmark product for securing bank safes. In 1842, John and Robert continued the business as Day & Newell. This counterstamp matches that seen on a padlock that sold for $2500 at auction; the value based on Civil War use and provenance thereof.

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