Hard Times Token

Very good article. If I came away with 1 thing its research scoville tokens. They may be more collectable?

I dont think I'm asking right.... so they get minted .... then what? They put buckets full out on the curb? People just filled they're pockets up and started buying shit? Somebody had to earn them somehow. If you put 5 bux in the bank... they'd give you these if you made a withdrawl?

Now dont even start on me I know they didnt have curbs in 1837..... but these tokens just didnt rain from the sky either. If you could buy with them then you had to purchase them in some manner?

 

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I read a few days ago that businesses would buy them from the people who minted it. If I remember correctly, businesses would buy 6,000 tokens for $5 and give them as change, etc.

 

@Seascape The Tokens were minted privately. A vast shortage of change existed so instead of buying from the bank merchants bought the privately minted tokens. They were given in change instead of US coins. Then they were spent and accepted as coins by all businesses.

 

Ok now I get it. Pretty simple.

 

The point is, the first U.S. Mint (1792 - 1833) did not have the productive capacity to supply enough coins to the U.S. economy. People used whatever coins and tokens they could get, which included foreign coins, privately issued pieces and even the coins the state's issued prior to the adoption of the constitution. The Harc Times Tokens were political and advertising pieces that appeared during this period.

 

Just hit IGNORE on this one, all their posts go away.

Z

 

My newest HTT. These seem to be a breath of fresh air for me since I am stuck on a couple world key date pcs. I also broke ground on a civil war token that I may post in another thread.
No Idea why it posting a small image.

 

Here is mine; I used axial light a few years ago to make the images which shows the color of the thin layer of oxidation on the surface.