The August 2011 Chicago ANA World's Fair of Money Auction

Pre-Bidding Ends: 8/18/2011 9:00:00 AM PST
Live Floor and Internet Bidding Begins: 8/18/2011 10:00:00 AM PST

Lot #6187. New York--Batavia. 1844 J. Cochran. HT-211, Low-161. Rarity-8. Copper. Fine-12 Damaged (Uncertified).

Very Rare 1844 J. Cochran Copper Token

 HT-211, Rarity-8
Description: Struck coin turn offset slightly left. Obverse: A head of liberty facing left, J. COCHRAN BELLFOUNDER BATAVIA around. Reverse: AN ARMY FOR DEFENSE around a continuous wreath of olive, NOT ONE CENT FOR TRIBUTE within, 1844 below. Mostly brown with areas of very pale brassy yellow in the upper right quadrant of the obverse. Surfaces quite rough, granular, unprepossessing. Obverse possibly filed in the center and at right. Reverse rim damaged at upper right. Types clear, parts of legends illegible. Extremely rare: only three specimens have been traced by our efforts (Joe Levine reports a fourth), including this; Ford:302 (ungraded but better preserved than this one); Long Island Collection ex Don Miller. The present specimen is listed twice in the Rulau reference, once called fine ex Steinberg and again called about Fine. Since its earliest known appearance in 1910 this specimen has been sold publicly only five times prior to this appearance.

James H. Cochran held forth on Bank Street in Batavia, where his products were turned out. Dated 1844, this particular piece defines the tail end of the numismatic definition of "Hard Times tokens."

 

From the Reference Collection of Q. David Bowers. Earlier from Stack's sale of the James E. Dice, Jr. & M. Lamar Hicks Collections, July 2008, lot 3191 and Stack's Americana Sale of September-October 2010, lot 5759. Lot tags includes.


- Indicates you are the winning bidder for a specific lot.
- Indicates you are the highest bidder for a specific lot.
- Indicates you have been outbid on a specific lot.
*Price includes BP if auction is closed
^Reserve not met