(1844) Civil War Patriotic Token F-481/487b, Hope/Hare

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,040 MS64 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

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 487 bearing a hare design from the English-made Hope series. 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. Copper was the standard metal for patriotic tokens, chosen because cent-sized copper pieces could pass as substitute federal cents in everyday commerce. Bearing the date 1844. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, and the introduction of fractional currency notes and new bronze two-cent pieces gradually eliminated the need for emergency tokens.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 481/487b. Die pairing: obverse 481, reverse 487. Copper is the most common composition, representing the majority of surviving specimens. The Fuld rarity scale ranges from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique); survival depends on the specific die combination, metal, and condition.

Cross References

Fuld 481/487b