Ohio--Cleveland. 1843 A. Loomis. HT-377A, Low-158A, W-OH-040-10a. Rarity-7. Copper. Plain Edge--Overstruck on a Large Cent--AU-55 (PCGS). 28.2 mm. 28.2 mm. Here is an intriguing variant of this rustic type. Both sides are sharply to fully defined overall with richly original golden-copper and medium brown patina. Close inspection with a loupe reveals traces of the undertype on the obverse, which was aligned with the reverse of the large cent. Scattered handling marks are commensurate with the grade, and we note that the several small rim cuts around each side previously seen on this piece have been attempted to be repaired.<p>The Hard Times tokens of Anson L. Loomis, grocer and dealer in liquor, have been well known to numismatists for a long time. These were made in the early to mid-1840s on the cusp of the Hard Times period. Loomis was born in Sangerfield, New York, on April 6, 1812. He and his wife, the former Charlotte Brown, came to Cleveland from St. Louis in 1836, where he set up as G. & A. Loomis, grocer, at 14 Dock Street. Anson Loomis resided at the Cleveland House and G. Loomis at Lawtons at 15 Dock Street. Anson Loomis tokens have three interlocked rings as part of the motif, in the eagles beak or below the eagle. On the tokens the state is spelled as OIHO, either an error or placed upside down as part of the border inscription. The tokens are crudely engraved, adding to their appeal. Numismatic "folk art" reflects hand-made dies often made under rustic conditions. Ex George Hetrich; Donald Miller; Q. David Bowers, June 29, 1983; Heritages sale of the Donald G. Partrick Collection, December 2020, lot 45428.
