1837 Token - Did You Ever Find One Of These ?

E-Trac-Ohio

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My main reason for this post is that I'm curious to see if many of you have found one of these Tokens ?

By chance, I found two of these 1837 President Martin Van Buren - "hard times" Tokens - (about the same size as a Large Cent).
I found them on two different sites that are approx. 30 miles apart - both were found within a few weeks of each other.

(Historical Info. If You Care To Read It ) In 1832, President Andrew Jackson ran for re-election and called for the abolition of the Second Bank of the United States. While he won the election, he worked to weaken the bank before the charter expired in 1836. Without the Bank of the United States, state banks attempted to fill the paper money gap and issued a large number of bank notes, which fueled inflation. Hoping to halt the inflation and speculation in public lands, Jackson and his Treasury secretary, Levi Woodbury, issued the Specie Circular on July 11, 1836. The circular simply stated that as of August 15 1836, banks and others who received public money were required to accept only gold and silver coins in payment for public lands.

Instead of the intended results, the circular spelled the end of a time of economic prosperity. The circular set into motion a panic, and the public began hoarding specie. Without specie to pay out, banks and merchants began having financial troubles. It wasn't too long before the effects of Jackson's decision were felt across the nation as banks and businesses failed, and a depression ensued.

By this time, Jackson's vice president, Martin Van Buren, was the elected president in office. The period of economic hardship, the Panic of 1837, during Van Buren's presidency came to be known as the "Hard Times".

Good Hunting ! View attachment 1812305 View attachment 1812306 View attachment 1812307 View attachment 1812307 View attachment 1812309 View attachment 1812310 View attachment 1812312 View attachment 1812313 View attachment 1812313 View attachment 1812314 View attachment 1812315 ZZZ - 1837 - A.jpg ZZZ - 1837 - B.jpg ZZZ - MAH - Finds - 3-24-13 - 1837 Token - A.JPG ZZZ - MAH - Finds - 3-24-13 - 1837 Token - B.JPG
 

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ironhorse

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short answer....yes
I've found several here in Atlantic Canada
this is one I found last year...typical condition of many of the dug coppers we find
 

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ANTIQUARIAN

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Funny, when I first saw your post E-Trac, I thought you were asking about the 1837 Half and One Penny Tokens we find here in Ontario. :laughing7:
I know our 1837 tokens did find their way to the US, although I doubt they circulated in the same way we used US coinage in the 18th - 19thc.
Dave
 

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crashbandicoot

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Always read the history,one of the things I like about Tnet.Your story illustrates the law of unintended consequences.Pesky old law!
 

BigWaveDave

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My first hard times token was this hot mess a few weeks ago....
47BFC47C-C3EA-4C65-8BE8-44768D1417B1.jpeg 2D234A78-1FD5-412C-BD6B-73DED643B9B2.jpeg
 

Trezurehunter

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Yes, I have found the same exact token you have pictured. Found it about 15 years ago in a wooded Forest Preserve (park).
 

erfranks

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Nice Token, i have not found one of those yet, but i did find a 1853 Crystal Palace token in a civil war camp, that they put a hole in it to make a rowel out of it.
Rowels.jpg
token obv.jpg token rev.jpg
 

CASPER-2

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was hunting with friends in NH at an old house permission
one guy found one and then he moved on from the spot without gridding the area- I waited till he was like 40 yrds away and went to the spot and did a slow grid around his plug I came up with a turtle one and then a Webster one with ship on it
 

CASPER-2

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my primary computer crashed - using a 2006 model - hard time finding anything but found
pic of my 2
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Almy

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Found the photographed holed one last summer at a Loyalist site here in Atlantic Canada. Only the pictured side had any detail on it. It was difficult for me to ID. Its my only one.
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