(1835) Token HT-359 Copper Carpenter & Mosher NY, BN MS(PCGS#77187)

August 2019 ANA U.S. Coins Auction Rosemont, IL

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

401

等级

VF35BN

价格

55,056

详细说明

Legendary HT-359 Carpenter & Mosher New York--Troy. Undated (1835) Carpenter & Mosher. HT-359, Low-146, W-NY-1680-10a. Rarity-7+. Copper. Plain Edge. 28.5 mm. VF-35 (PCGS). Coin alignment, with a slight counterclockwise offset. This is a very well defined, exceptionally attractive example of a leading rarity in the Hard Times series. These always come softly struck, the obverse die worn and broken after it was used for Bucklin's varieties, HT-356 to 357. Unlike with most survivors, however, this piece exhibits a fully legible TROY on Liberty's coronet, all peripheral stars evident despite softness to those along the lower right border, and Liberty's portrait boldly outlined with sharper detail present along the profile, at the ear, and within the hair. The reverse strike is also well above average for the type, the right border devoid of denticulation and the letters HER in MOSHER faint and difficult to discern, but all other features on that side are fully appreciable. There is even considerable boldness of detail within the left half of the wreath and along the adjacent periphery. Both sides are pleasingly toned in a blend of rose-brown and golden-copper, the texture satiny and the surfaces hard. Scattered marks include none worthy of concern for a well circulated survivor of this challenging type. Provenance concerns alone compel us to mention a short, shallow scrape at the reverse border outside the letters RP in CARPENTER. Quite attractive for an HT-359, this impressive piece is sure to see spirited bidding from advanced collectors. In his 2015 Guide Book of Hard Times Tokensfor Whitman, Bowers relates what the hobby knows about this firm and its tokens: Carpenter & Mosher were in the dry goods business from 1829 to 1831 at 404 River Street, then at 325 River Street, and from 1835 to 1841 at 310 River Street, the last address being that used on the token. In 1841 the partnership ended when James Mosher withdrew. A listing of tokens in The Coin Collector's Journal, January 1886, included this: 'No. 402. Carpenter & Mosher. Obv. A most disreputable head of Liberty, left. Upon the coronet, "Troy." Fourteen stars. Rev. "Carpenter & Mosher River St." Within a laurel wreath: "Dry / Goods" 310. Size 18. Copper.' The obverse die used on both of the tokens issued by this firm [HT-359 and 360] was by True of Albany and was also used on Bucklin's Book Keeping Tables tokens....The reverse die on both tokens is the same, with 310 added on the later die state [HT-360]. These tokens have been recognized as rarities for a long time. In The Numismatist, August 1913, a Very Fine example of Low-146 recently obtained by W.W.C. Wilson of Montreal was illustrated for the benefit of readers. We have been able to positively confirm the following different examples of HT-359: 1 - Extremely Fine. Ex F.C.C. Boyd estate; our (Stack's) sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part IV, June 2004, lot 268. 2 - Extremely Fine Details. Ex our (Stack's) sale of the Gilbert Steinberg Collection of Early American Colonial Coins, Hard Times Tokens and Early Store Cards, October 1989, lot 361. 3 - PCGS VF-35. Ex Donald Miller Collection; Dr. George Hetrich Collection; Q. David Bowers, 1983; Stephen L. Tanenbaum, estate, November 2013; Q. David Bowers. The present example, and the Edgar Adams plate specimen. 4 - Very Fine. Ex Byron White Collection, via Rossa & Tanenbaum, December 12, 1989; our (Stack's) sale of the Collections of James E. Dice & M. Lamar Hicks, July 2008, lot 3176; Robert A. Schuman. The plate token for the variety in the 2015 Whitman Guide Book of Hard Times Tokensby Q. David Bowers. Additional market appearances that may represent one or more of the above-listed examples include: 1 - Ex Wayte Raymond's sale of the W.W.C. Wilson Collection, November 1925, lot 308. 2 - Ex Ken Rendell's 1958 Fixed Price List. 3 - Ex Presidential Coin and Antique Company, Inc.'s Mail Bid Auction Number 14, June 1973, lot 10. Provenance: Ex Donald Miller Collection; Dr. George Hetrich Collection; Q. David Bowers, 1983; Stephen L. Tanenbaum, estate, November 2013. The Edgar Adams plate specimen. Collector tag with attribution and provenance notes included.