(1863) Brass Civil War Patriotic Token F-26/418b, Peace Forever

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 26, a French-style Liberty head facing left surrounded by thirteen stars, the most common obverse die family on Civil War patriotic tokens, with reverse die 418 bearing the inscription "PEACE FOREVER". Despite the ongoing conflict, this hopeful reverse expressed the longing for an end to hostilities. The French Liberty head design was the workhorse of the patriotic token series. Die sinkers favored this classical motif because its resemblance to official currency increased merchant acceptance of privately produced cent substitutes. 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. Die sinkers produced patriotic tokens on hand-operated screw presses capable of striking several hundred pieces per hour. The largest manufacturers maintained multiple presses and employed teams of workers to meet the enormous wartime demand.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 26/418b. Die pairing: obverse 26, reverse 418. 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 26/418b