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CheetahCats
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National Road Token - Wheeling Suspension Bridge
in US, World, and Ancient Coins
Posted
Our nation's first turnpike, known as the National Road, traversed through Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland.
Known today as US Highway 40, National Road tokens were issued with incuse numbers that were used to indicate toll gate. In this particular case, the specimen corresponds to the Wheeling Suspension Bridge toll, which was the first bridge span the Ohio River.
Completed in 1849, it was the largest suspension bridge in the world until 1851. In 1854 the deck of the bridge was destroyed in a windstorm. Re-decked shortly thereafter, the bridge remains standing today.
As per the numismatic specimen, the bridge's tokens were struck on planed off large cents and foreign coins.
This particular specimen is quite rough, and most probably is a ground find. The planchet having a diameter that exceeds one of a large cent, it appears to be brass.
It is the first and only example of a Wheeling Suspension Bridge specimen I have encountered despite years of searching.
She's no beauty -- clearly. Yet despite its rough condition, I am happy to have it in the cabinet.
It is cataloged as Atwood-Coffee WV890L. Also cataloged in Brunk, pg. 234 as T-258, it is but only 1 of 4 known to survive. It is an R-7 on the Sheldon Rarity Scale.
If anyone else possess tokens from the National Road, or even one from the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, I'd love to see some other examples.
Thanks,
Cheetah