Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Unknown [Pair of abolitionist slave tokens]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC08551 Author/Creator: Unknown Place Written: s.l. Type: Object Date: circa 1838 Pagination: 2 metal tokens ; 2.7 cm diameter. Order a Copy

One token, dated 1838, depicts a kneeling, shackled female slave, accompanied by the words: "Am I not a woman & a sister." Verso depicts a laurel wreath surrounding "Liberty 1838." Other token depicts a male figure with inscription "Am I not a man and a brother." Verso portrays two hands clasped as if shaking, with the inscription "May slavery and oppression cease throughout the world." Appears identical to abolitionist token originally created circa 1792.

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