(1861-65) German Silver Civil War Patriotic Token F-481/488j, Hope/Wolfhound

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 488 bearing a wolfhound 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. Struck in German silver (a copper-nickel-zinc alloy also called nickel silver), a scarce composition for Civil War tokens. The silvery appearance gave these pieces a more precious look than standard copper issues. Bearing the date 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 481/488j. Die pairing: obverse 481, reverse 488. German silver (nickel silver) strikes are scarce. 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 481/488j