(1863) Brass Civil War Patriotic Token F-59/453b, Indian Head-10

Coin Details

Auction Record

$480 MS62 08-22-2018 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 59, an Indian Head design modeled after James B. Longacre's federal cent, the most popular obverse family for patriotic tokens because its resemblance to official coinage helped these privately struck pieces gain public acceptance, with reverse die 453 bearing a design featuring "10". The Indian Head obverse deliberately copied the federal cent design to maximize public acceptance. These tokens were so convincing that many survive today mistakenly identified as genuine federal cents rather than privately issued substitutes. Struck in brass, a less common composition that gave the token a distinctive golden color distinguishing it from the copper standard. Dated 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 59/453b. Die pairing: obverse 59, reverse 453. 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 59/453b