Mott Tokens dated 1789 occupy a distinctive place in early American numismatics. They are often grouped with “colonial” pieces in longstanding collections. In fact, they are better understood as early American store cards tied to a specific New York City business. Collectors value them for their blend of commercial purpose, patriotic symbolism, and uncertain origin: the tokens carry patriotic imagery associated with the young republic, yet their true production window remains debated.
These pieces are traditionally associated with a Mott firm at 240 Water Street in New York City and are often described as store cards commemorating the business. The exact issuer and production period remain debated. Rather than functioning as official coinage, they acted as advertising tokens that could be handed out, retained, and, in some cases, spent or traded like small change. That practical role helps explain why many surviving examples show heavy circulation wear, while a small number of higher-grade pieces suggest that some were saved as keepsakes or by early collectors.
Origins and Purpose
Although the tokens display the date 1789, the year George Washington was inaugurated, the date should be treated cautiously. It has been long questioned whether the date reflects true contemporaneous manufacture or a commemorative choice applied later. Some researchers argue the tokens were struck well after 1789. Proposals range from the early 1800s to the late 1830s, and published research has even suggested a window around 1832–1844. The uncertainty is compounded by the fact that even the “obverse” and “reverse” orientation is not universally agreed upon. A common and practical convention is to call the side naming the firm the obverse, since that is the issuer identification and marketing message.
Regardless of the exact year they were made, their intent is clear: the tokens advertised the firm’s goods and highlighted its desired public image. They promote a broad line of goods and services, emphasizing precision and quality in timekeeping and metalwork. In that sense, the token served as a compact, durable advertisement that could circulate hand to hand in the busiest commercial corridors of the early United States.
Design, Varieties, and Collectability
In many descriptions, the obverse is the side with the regulator clock and the surrounding firm legend beginning “MOTT’S N.Y.…”, while the reverse shows the eagle with the date 1789 and a rim legend listing goods (e.g., “CLOCKS, WATCHES, JEWELRY, SILVERWARE, CHRONOMETERS”), though some experts reverse these conventions. The reverse features a spread wing bald eagle with an American shield breastplate. The eagle holds an olive branch in one talon and arrows in the other, a deliberate blend of peace and readiness that echoes the national iconography of the period. Above the eagle sits the date “1789”.
The opposite side centers on a regulator clock, reinforcing the timekeeping theme. A perimeter legend that links the firm to New York and describes it as “IMPORTERS, DEALERS, MANUFACTURERS, / OF GOLD & SILVER WARES”. Together, the two sides present patriotic imagery on one face and detailed product information on the other.
Collectors typically recognize three major varieties. One is struck on a thick planchet, another on a thin planchet, and the third features an engrailed edge, an ornamental edge style that appears on examples from both planchet thicknesses. The relative mintages of these types are unknown, as is the total number struck. Survival is uncertain, but some commonly cited estimates place the number of known specimens at roughly 250–500, with relative rarity varying by planchet and edge type.
The dating controversy remains central to the coin’s interest. The eagle has been compared to later U.S. federal eagles (one major reference notes similarity to the John Reich eagle used on U.S. gold coins beginning in 1807) which has fueled theories that “1789” is a backdated commemorative rather than the true year of manufacture. Mott Tokens have attracted sustained collector interest since at least the 19th century, and they remain a notable artifact at the intersection of early American advertising, patriotic imagery, and contested dating.
