(1863) Brass Civil War Patriotic Token F-37/255b, For Public Accommodation

Coin Details

Auction Record

$168 MS63RD 01-12-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 37, a liberty cap design inscribed "FOR PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION," one of the most commonly paired obverse dies, with reverse die 255 bearing a portrait or inscription referencing General George B. McClellan. McClellan commanded the Army of the Potomac and ran against Lincoln in 1864. Dies in this military obverse range capture the martial spirit of the Northern home front. Slogans, weapons, and military insignia dominate these designs, reflecting the public's intense focus on the progress and prosecution of the war. Struck in brass, a less common composition that gave the token a distinctive golden color distinguishing it from the copper standard. Bearing the date 1863. The Fuld catalog documents over 10,000 distinct die combinations for patriotic tokens, making this one of the most complex series in all of American numismatics. Many die pairings are known from only a handful of surviving specimens.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 37/255b. Die pairing: obverse 37, reverse 255. 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 37/255b