Anti-slavery Hard Times token: HT-81 "Am I Not A Woman" type

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Now that is a cool piece. I had to grin... I always say that when I see those advertising boards in front of a business that have a backwards "N" on the message, that it makes me nuts.

 

These are amazing tokens when you step back and realize what was endured. I have to shake my head.

You should look for the matching “Am I not a man” which seem to be a bit harder to find.

 

You must be a bit picky, just a pun. I see a scratch or two on the slab, otherwise it shows the coin very well. I like it. Thanks @lordmarcovan

 

I was collecting Hard Times tokens about 40 years ago. I wanted one like the HT-81 but back then, they were pricey. I could buy several other HTs for the same money.

 

Still in the old school holder from when I bought it. I have the male Brother version too somewhere.

 

Nice pick up

 

These are very interesting tokens.

 

I’ll try to find it tomorrow.

 

Very nice pickup

 

The only "Am I not a man and a brother?" tokens I can find on Heritage are from Middlesex, 1790s. There's no United States for a backwards N to be in. Is there a US version?

 

Yea, right. You do realize that there are only, I think, three examples known of the American version of that. The British version is much easier, actually possible to collect.



Here is an example of the American version.



This one would appear to have rim issues, but it doesn't. It is actually a high grade example of Low 54 B. There are three minor varieties of this piece with slightly different diameters.

The American Anit-Slavery Society, which was located at 154 Nassau Street in New York City had these pieces made by the firm of Gibbs Gardner & Co. in Belleville, NJ. They paid 50 cents per hundred for these pieces and advertised them for 1 dollar per hundred.

The U.S. Mint Director found out about these and demanded that the Society stop selling them. The reason was that slavery was a politically charged subject in 1838, and the Federal Government did not take kindly the political agitation over it.

Russell Rulau mentions that the remaining examples of this token may have been distributed by a middle man who obtained them for 62 cents per hundred.

The backward "N" is a die cutting error. All it takes is to tap the letter punch in upside down.

 

I have been unable to find whether the American male version ever existed though. I did find this https://emuseum.nyhistory.org/objec...r;jsessionid=8B89ABB7083E66DA041D237B9DC00FC5 saying "The advertisement also mentioned that a proposal was pending to issue the Kneeling Male Slave token, but they were never produced for circulation" and "The AASS also distributed a token with the kneeling male slave, imported from Britain."

 

That piece does exit. It's listed in Rulau Hard Times Token 1832 - 1844 book as HT 82. I knew an old gentlemen when I lived in New Jersey who had one. His collection was consigned to Stacks' where it sold for around $30,000. Given my finances at the time, it may as well have been $30 million.

 

Thanks to that tip and NGC's list https://www.ngccoin.com/coin-explorer/united-states/tokens-and-medals/hard-times-tokens-rulau/ I found an example on Heritage. It does not have the backwards N. HA says this is now the 4th example, having been found in Canada in 2011.

 

Lots of knowledge here!