What is the symbolism of the special coin?

The symbolism of the copper coin shifts as Hiram matures. At first, the coin represents Hiram’s ticket out of the Street and into the mansion of Lockless. More broadly, it represents his desire to escape slavery and gain access to the privileged world of the Quality. After nearly drowning in the river Goose, Hiram looks for but cannot find his coin. At the same time, he realizes that his desire to join the Quality is a fantasy and that their power is based on cruelty and lies. By the times he finds the coin, he reflects that it is “my token into the Realm—but not the Realm I’d long thought.” In this way, the coin becomes a symbol of a different way out of slavery, through Conduction.