(1861-65) Copper Civil War Patriotic Token F-481/487a, Hope/Hare

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 487 bearing a hare design from the English-made Hope series. The English-made Hope dies stand apart from domestically produced patriotic tokens in both artistic style and subject matter. Their allegorical imagery — figures representing Hope, Fortune, and other classical virtues — reflects the British tradition of finely engraved token dies. Struck in copper, the dominant metal for Civil War patriotic tokens. Copper pieces were accepted interchangeably with federal cents by merchants throughout the North. Produced in 1861-65. 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 481/487a. 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 481/487a