(1861-65) Copper Civil War Patriotic Token F-449/471a, United We Stand

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 449, a patriotic or political design from the Civil War era, with reverse die 471 bearing the motto "UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL". This proverb, attributed to Aesop, took on urgent meaning during the secession crisis. These privately manufactured cent-sized tokens served as emergency coinage throughout the North from 1862 to 1864. Their production was an entrepreneurial response to the wartime disappearance of federal small change from everyday commerce. Copper was the standard metal for patriotic tokens, chosen because cent-sized copper pieces could pass as substitute federal cents in everyday commerce. Produced in 1861-65. 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 449/471a. Die pairing: obverse 449, reverse 471. 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 449/471a