(1844) Brass Civil War Patriotic Token F-481/490b, Hope/Huntsman

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 481, an allegorical figure of Hope depicted as a woman with an anchor, a neoclassical motif on English-made dies dated 1844 but used during the Civil War era, with reverse die 490 bearing a huntsman design. Hope series dies were produced in England, where the token-making tradition stretched back centuries. The British-manufactured dies feature finer engraving than most domestically produced patriotic token dies, with allegorical imagery drawn from European medallic art traditions. Struck in brass, which gives the token a golden color unlike the usual copper. Bearing the date 1844. Congress banned private tokens in 1864, and fractional currency notes and the new bronze cents and two-cent pieces ended the need for them.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 481/490b. Die pairing: obverse 481, reverse 490. The Fuld rarity scale runs from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (believed unique).

Cross References

Fuld 481/490b