Hard Times Token – Ship / Whigs of N. York

Reverse

All legend

Script: Latin

Lettering:
FLOURISH COMMERCE , FLOURISH INDUSTRY .
WHIGS
OF N. YORK
VICTORIOUS
Les trois jours
APRIL 8. 9. & 10.
1834

Translation: Les trois jours - The three days

Edge

Plain

Comment

The Whig party in the United States was formed in 1833 after Andrew Jackson, of the Democratic party, was reelected President. They chose Whig as their name, after the US Whigs who opposed King George III during the revolution. The Whigs were the anti-royalty party in the United Kingdom. Those opposed to Jackson viewed him as acting like a King when he withdrew government funds from the Bank of the United States. His rivals thought this should only be done by Congress.
HT-14, the WHIG VICTORY token was struck for their campaign in the 1834 election for mayor of New York City. In the voting April 8, 9, & 10 the Whigs lost a bitterly fought election. Gulian C. Verplanck was the Whig candidate. HT-14 and HT-14A are both R-5 (31-75 known).
Verplanck’s Hard Times token (HT-30) was likely struck later in 1834 when he tried for the Whig nomination for governor of New York. He barely lost the nomination in September to William H. Seward (HT-26 to 29). Seward went on to lose to the Democrat William L Marcy in the November election.