How to Identify the Talbot, Allum & Lee Cent

What It Is

The Talbot, Allum & Lee Cent was issued privately in 1794 and 1795 by a New York City mercantile trading firm of that name, engaged in commerce with China and other overseas markets. With small federal cents still scarce in circulation, the firm produced these tokens partly as advertising and partly to help supply needed small change, a common practice among merchants of the era.

Obverse Design & Inscriptions

The obverse features a three-masted sailing ship under full sail, reflecting the firm's trading business, with the legend TALBOT ALLUM & LEE around the upper border and CENT below the ship on most varieties, along with the date (1794 or 1795).

Reverse Design & Inscriptions

The reverse shows an eagle with wings spread, generally holding an olive branch, surrounded by a legend that on the 1794-dated pieces reads PAYABLE AT THE STORE OF, referencing the firm's New York shop, though this phrase was dropped on some later varieties as the tokens were used more broadly.

Size, Weight, and Metal

These are copper tokens close in size and weight to a federal large cent of the period, roughly 28-29 mm in diameter, struck with a reeded or plain edge depending on the specific variety and year.

Mint Marks

There is no mint mark, since this was a private token rather than an official government coin, though it was accepted informally in circulation similarly to a cent due to its size and copper content.

Telling It Apart From Similar Coins

The ship-and-eagle design combination, along with the firm's name spelled directly on the coin, makes the Talbot, Allum & Lee Cent easy to distinguish from official large cents of the same period, which instead feature a Liberty bust obverse and wreath reverse. Collectors do note differences between the 1794 variety (with the PAYABLE AT THE STORE OF legend) and the 1795 variety (without it), which affects classification.

Judging Condition at a Glance

Check the ship's rigging lines and the eagle's feather detail for sharpness, since these fine engraved elements wear away first with circulation. A well-preserved piece shows crisp rigging and a clearly defined eagle, while a heavily circulated example will show a smooth, indistinct ship hull and blurred lettering.

Authenticity Red Flags

As a well-known and collected early American token, reproductions and altered pieces do exist. Red flags include unusually smooth, glossy surfaces suggesting a modern strike rather than 18th-century manufacture, incorrect edge treatment for the claimed variety, or a weight and diameter that fall outside the expected range for genuine large-cent-sized coppers of the 1790s. Comparing the exact wording and placement of the reverse legend against documented genuine examples is a useful first check before deeper authentication.