(1863) Brass Civil War Patriotic Token F-237/423b, Our Little Monitor

Coin Details

Auction Record

$324 MS64 08-14-2019 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 237, the USS Monitor, the Union's revolutionary iron-turreted warship whose battle with the CSS Virginia at Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862 was the first clash of ironclads and captured the Northern public's imagination — the Monitor became one of the most popular subjects on patriotic tokens, with reverse die 423 bearing the USS Monitor, the Union's revolutionary ironclad warship. The Monitor's March 1862 battle with the CSS Virginia captured the Northern imagination. The USS Monitor obverse commemorated the naval engagement at Hampton Roads that changed maritime warfare forever. The ironclad's unprecedented revolving turret design made it one of the most iconic military subjects depicted on Civil War tokens. The brass composition, while less common than copper, produced tokens with a distinctive yellow-gold appearance. Waterbury, Connecticut — the brass capital of America — supplied much of the raw material for token production. Produced in 1863.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 237/423b. Die pairing: obverse 237, reverse 423. Brass strikes are less common than copper. 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 237/423b