NGC Certified 1838 "Am I Not A Man & A Brother" Token Realizes $40,800 In Partrick Sale

NGC - An NGC-graded anti-slavery token led the way in the Heritage auction.

A rare anti-slavery token certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) realized $40,800 to top a sale of tokens from the Donald G. Partrick Collection. Held December 6, 2020, the Heritage Auctions sale realized nearly $1 million from the 811 lots in the sale. Nearly all the lots were certified — including the top 70 individual tokens — and all the certification was done by NGC.

Leading the way was an 1838 Am I Not A Man & A Brother (Low-54A, HT-82) token graded NGC AU 53 BN. The obverse depicts a kneeling man in chains with the words AM I NOT A MAN & A BROTHER, while the reverse features a wreath reminiscent of the US Mint-issued cents in circulation at the time.


1838 Am I Not A Man & A Brother (Low-54A, HT-82) token graded NGC AU 53

The sale brings the Partrick Collection to more than $28 million realized, including nearly $26 million at Heritage Auctions' January 2015 FUN Show sale and $1.3 million at a sale of Connecticut Coppers in November 2020. Additional sales are planned in the first half of 2021, including a Platinum Partrick Sale in mid-January that includes two incredibly rare Brasher Doubloons. The full auction schedule is at HA.com/Partrick.

The December 2020 sale featured tokens that were nearly all from the early and middle 19th century, including Hard Times tokens, which were used as an unofficial currency when Americans were hoarding US coins. Some tokens advertised businesses, while others carried a political message.