(1863) Civil War Patriotic Token F-1/105b, Liberty-Washington

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 1, 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 105 bearing a George Washington portrait with a star design. Washington's image invoked the founding ideals of the republic. French Liberty head dies were produced in greater quantity than any other obverse family. The neoclassical bust of Liberty, inspired by French medallic art, lent an air of official authority to these privately manufactured emergency coins. 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. Bearing the date 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 1/105b. Die pairing: obverse 1, reverse 105. 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 1/105b