(1863) Brass Civil War Patriotic Token F-286/382, Apoth. Weight, One Dram

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 286, a design inscribed "APOTHECARY WEIGHT, ONE DRAM," a pharmaceutical reference used humorously, with reverse die 382 bearing the provocative legend "NOT ONE CENT" within a wreath. This seemingly contradictory inscription acknowledged the token had no legal-tender status while it simultaneously served as a cent substitute in everyday commerce. 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. 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. 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 286/382. Die pairing: obverse 286, reverse 382. 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 286/382