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1/2 Penny - Hosterman and Etter
| Issuer | Hosterman & Etter |
|---|---|
| Year | 1814 |
| Type | Emergency coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A detailed frontal elevation of a grand Neoclassical public building occupies the central field, depicted with a rusticated ground floor, two upper stories featuring regularly spaced rectangular windows, and a central pedimented portico supported by columns. The architectural rendering is precise and finely engraved, consistent with Thomas Halliday's style. The circular legend PAYABLE BY HOSTERMAN & ETTER arcs around the upper portion of the field, while the place name HALIFAX appears in the lower segment, flanked by raised dots as punctuation. The entire design is enclosed within a continuous beaded border. |
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| Reverse lettering | PAYABLE BY HOSTERMAN & ETTER • HALIFAX • |
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| Additional information |
Hosterman & Etter were Lancaster, Pennsylvania merchants who issued this token during a period when small change was chronically absent from American commerce — the federal government had essentially abandoned fractional copper coinage between 1809 and 1816. Private merchant tokens filled the gap by necessity, not ambition. This piece, catalogued as Breton 882, belongs to a well-documented class of necessity issues that circulated locally with the tacit acceptance of both merchants and customers.
The CCT (Canadian Colonial Tokens) reference suggests cross-border circulation or collector crossover — Lancaster County trade goods moved regularly through networks that reached into Upper Canada.