Such a beautiful green color! Thanks for posting all of the pics, made my day and it isn't even my find! Lol That is an old and awesome peice of history right there.
I would kill to get my hands on something like that! I teach early US History, and Andrew Jackson is one of the most interesting figures to my students. His successful fight against the national bank, which that coin is about, is an awesome story.
Finds like that keep itching to get out more and more!
- Dan
Thanks for all the replies guys
GrandBalncDig - sounds like you/me and your students would get along great! See below!
For those who don't know what this type of token truly represents in/of our past as a nation = here's a bit of history on these nearly 200 year old pieces and how they played a central role in our past...
----------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------
Hard-times tokens are large cent-sized copper tokens, struck from about 1833 through 1843, serving as unofficial currency. These privately made pieces, comprising merchant, political and satirical pieces, were used during a time of political and financial crisis in the United States. 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".
These type of finds from this period/era of time are high on my desirability list and I seek to find them above most other items/time periods as I am extremely drawn to this specific period o
f time in our history.
I don't know what it is or how to describe it but the period of the 1820s - 1870s (and more specifically the 1830s) is my most studied and appreciated period of interest.
I've studied this 50/60 yr span of history more than any other and am constantly/consistently and continually doing such
I've even been to President Andrew Jackson home/estate/museum in Nashville TN for a day long tour (and it takes that long) where his life, artifacts from his estate, and history of his presidency is on display. It's a HUGE estate that once was 1000 acres but has a complete museum on site, original slave cabins, an original cotton field, out buildings of the period, and even his family graveyard/garden with monument in the center.
It's an awesome tour, a beautiful home and a deep history lesson into our past and one that I recommend to any/all who ever get to Nashville for a stay.
Here's a pic of his home :yes:
