Much controversy surrounds the origin of the Mott token, with the 1789 date declared by some to be backdated from actual striking from the late 1830s. The primary contention for this claim is a notice in Penny-Wise by William Anton in 1986 of acquisition of a 1789 Mott token overstruck on a U.S. large-cent that, while undated, was of the style of cents dated 1837-1839. Further, Q. David Bowers noted in 1987 that the eagle motif on the reverse precisely mimics the eagle found on the reverse of gold eagles of 1838, half-eagles of 1840, and quarter-eagles of 1840. If it could be proved that Mott tokens do indeed subscribe to that period, then they should be more properly considered Hard Times tokens, rather than colonial issues.