Hard Time token / variant?
Rob85635
Posts: 1,230 ✭✭✭
I have a hard time token that is labeled HT-195 E. F. Sise and Co. It is also noted that it is "Low 132". Does anyone know if this is a variant of some kind? I see the token is not that rare. I even found a Low 132 sold on ebay but was in really bad shape. I took it out of the stapled holder because it was hard to take photos but will put it in a modern flip. 
Rob the Newbie
Tagged:
1
Comments
You are dealing with two different catalog numbering systems - it is both Low-132 and HT-195. The original classic numbering system of Hard TImes tokens was created and published by dealer Lyman Low in 1899 with a supplement added in 1906. The HT numbers are from "Standard Catalog Of Hard TImes Tokens" by Russell Rulau, an updated catalog that added a number of new listings to which he gave a HT number as well as a new Low number. These additional tokens beyond the scope of Low's original work are often called "pseudo-Low" tokens.
To add a bit more to the numbering muddle, Q. David Bowers added his own numbering system to "The Guide Book Of Hard Times Tokens" published by Whitman. Your token is W-NH-200-10a under the Bowers system which has not been widely adopted. You are correct - it is not a scarce token.
Wow, thank you so much for the info, you are a wealth of knowledge.
Oh, as a side note, I might be asking a bunch more questions about hard time tokens and other tokens as I recently acquired a mini horde from a storage unit. Thanks again.