Featured Hard Times Tokens; What Are They

Here is one for the button maker, with the H initial on the obv.

 

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.. and probably my favorite merchant HTT:

 

That is one beautiful token!

 

I think the obverse was used or rather the likeness was used during WWII. It’s very similar to things I’ve seen featuring Rosie the Riveter.

 

Nice history lesson. Thanks for the post.

 

If it was struck in 1902 for a company founded in 1837, it would be a 65th anniversary tribute, not a 75th. Your numismatics is stronger than your mathematics. Still, a fine token, and peacocks are perennially popular!

Kind regards,

George

 

Good excuse and one that I can buy. Hehe

 

So these things are coming back, huh?

 

Nice George A. Jarvis HT-284 Hard Times token MS64BN NGC, ex: F.C.C. Boyd, John J. Ford

 

Thank you @Collecting Nut! That was an interesting summary. I have collected the political HTTs for many years. The pro-Jackson pieces are much harder to find than the anti-Jackson pieces.



The turtle with the safe on it's back refers the Sub Treasury system. At first the Federal Government moved its funds from the Bank of the United States to the "pet banks." When they started losing the Government's money, the Democrats passed a bill with created the Sub Treasury. The Sub Treasury collected and disbursed the government's money. The satire here implies that the Sub Treasury was slow in paying its bills.





The refers to a line from Martin Van Buren's inaugural address where he said that he "was following in the footsteps of his illustrious predecessor." Since Jackson had been depicted as a jack ass, Van Buren got the same treatment.

Here are a couple of the pro-Jackson HTTs.

 

Great read that I'll have to get back to. I like Hard Times Tokens but I don't have very many and most of them are packed except these two!

 

This is and has been through hard times, Twice!

 

That it has!

 

Excellent article. Gave wonderful context to my collection. My interest in HHTs began when trying to create type set of 1837 coins and wanting a half cent where there was none. I found Bower's book very helpful. Here's some of my favorites.

 

Glad you found the article helpful. You have some very nice looking coins there.

 

Very nice and the color is great.