Circa 1838 Bale and Smith store card, Second obverse. Musante GW-151, Baker-512A, Low-208, HT-227A. White Metal. MS-61 (PCGS).25.3 mm. 77.2 grains. A very attractive piece with light pewter gray surfaces that retain reflectivity in the protected areas of the fields. Scattered handling marks and a very thin scratch just left of Washington. A small series of deeper cuts are noted just right of the issuer’s mark, close to the dentils. Nicely struck with good centering that is essentially perfect on the equestrian side, and shifted ever so slightly on the other. No distracting pesting spots or other notable problems, which is unusual for a white metal token of this period.<p>One of these appeared as lot 1353 in the Charles I. Bushnell Collection, described by the Chapmans simply as “Tin. Proof. Unique?” It sold for $2.25 to the Chapmans. We have only seen one other example in more than a decade, that being in our 2013 John Ford, Jr. Collection sale, Part XXIII. It was perhaps just slightly inferior to this one, but with the same general appearance. It is unfortunate indeed that the Bushnell specimen was not plated, as there’s a good chance it was one of these. They are the only two we are readily aware of in white metal. Indeed, this is a rare token in either known composition and is frequently missing from important collections. Even the lovely and extensive Dice-Hicks collection of Hard Times tokens sold by us in 2008 had only a “ground-find” copper example that was very rough. Naturally, Ford had a nice copper example to go with the white metal piece, but as with just about everything revealed in the Ford holdings, this was an extraordinary exception to the norm. The appearance of this piece in the Baker Collection is an outstanding opportunity for the advanced Hard Times or Washingtoniana specialist.Ex William Spohn Baker Collection, to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania by bequest, November 15, 1897.
