In that sale we stated our belief that there was a strong probability that this token was the same piece offered by Woodward in his April 1886 sale of the J. M. Tilton Collection, Lot #277. In his preface to the listing of Tilton’s Hard Times tokens, Woodward stated, “Unfortunately, as I deem it, they have been passed through an electro-carbo battery, whereby, as Mr. Tilton states, ‘The original polish of the copperheads has been restored while some of the old cards have been silver-plated and others nickel-plated.' To this peculiar treatment no further reference will be made in descriptions.”

(H. Joseph Levine, PCAC, The Charles Litman Collection, December 6, 2003)