QUERY: YEATMAN & ARMISTEAD TOKEN INFORMATION SOUGHT

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V17 2014 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 17, Number 2, January 12, 2014, Article 19

Dave Bowers submitted this question for readers concerning this unusual Hard Times era token issued by Yeatman & Armistead. -Editor

Among the tokens I acquired from the estate of Steve Tanenbaum was one on which he was doing research before his untimely passing. It is struck in brass, 23 mm in diameter, and is illustrated here. The 12 ½ denomination is equal to that amount in cents, or one real or “bit” in Spanish-American coins, many examples of which were circulating in the United States in the 1830s and 1840s, the era of this token.

I have been trying to track down information about Yeatman & Armistead, the issuer, who was based in Nashville, Tennessee. The numismatic importance is that at present there are no known Hard Times tokens from that state, in the years from 1832 to 1844 as defined as the Hard Times token era by Lyman H. Low.

Although Steve’s notes say that he found information in the Tennessee Telegraph, November 21, 1840, page 3, I have not been able to track down a copy on the Internet. We do know that the partners were Henry T. Yeatman, of a famous Nashville family, and William B. Armistead, who was born in Nashville in 1811, of whom I have been unable to track down information from the HTT era, although later information when he conducted Armistead & Co. is plentiful. Yeatman & Armistead had a large warehouse and a steamer landing.

In the 1837-1838 edition of Longworth’s American Almanac: New-York Registry and City Directory the Yeatman & Armistead branch dry goods store was at 34 Cedar Street, but it does not seem to have lasted long. No home addresses were given for the principals as they lived in Nashville. In the 1850s there was the law = case of Yeatman v. Armistead of which I seek information as well. Later each went into a separate business. If anyone has any further information I would be very pleased to learn more!

This will be part of a new book on Hard Times tokens that I plan to complete in 2014. I began the manuscript in the 1970s! I would also appreciate hearing from anyone with a deep research interest in HTT as I have other questions, new discoveries, and the like.