(1863) Brass Civil War Patriotic Token F-5/288b, God Protect The Union

Coin Details

Auction Record

$240 MS64 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 5, 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 288 bearing the inscription "GOD PROTECTS THE UNION". This invocation of divine Providence reflected the religious dimensions of the conflict. The French Liberty obverse belongs to the largest die family in the patriotic token series. Their classical design echoed the imagery found on contemporary French coins and medals, providing a cosmopolitan look that set them apart from cruder token designs. 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 5/288b. Die pairing: obverse 5, reverse 288. 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 5/288b