(1860) Civil War Patriotic Token F-295/432d, Freedom

Coin Details

Auction Record

$343 MS63 09-26-2023 eBay

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 295, a design inscribed "FREEDOM", with reverse die 432 bearing the uncompromising inscription "NO COMPROMISE WITH TRAITORS". This hardline slogan rejected any negotiated settlement with the Confederacy. Patriotic tokens filled the currency vacuum created when Americans hoarded federal coins after the suspension of specie payments in December 1861. Die sinkers and token manufacturers stepped in to supply the cent-sized pieces that commerce demanded. Struck in copper, the dominant metal for Civil War patriotic tokens. Copper pieces were accepted interchangeably with federal cents by merchants throughout the North. Bearing the date 1860. New York City produced over half of all Civil War patriotic tokens, with additional output from Waterbury, Connecticut (center of the brass industry) and Cincinnati, Ohio (home of John Stanton and other prolific die sinkers).

Rarity Notes

Fuld 295/432d. Die pairing: obverse 295, reverse 432. 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 295/432d