(1863) Civil War Patriotic Token F-1/198b, United States

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 198 bearing a "UNITED STATES" or medal-style design. As part of the most extensive obverse die family, French Liberty heads were mass-produced by competing die sinkers in New York and Connecticut. The classical bust design was popular precisely because it looked like official government coinage. Produced in brass, giving this token a distinctive golden appearance compared to the more common copper strikes. Brass tokens typically survive in smaller numbers than their copper counterparts. Bearing the date 1863. The end of the token era came swiftly in 1864 when Congress authorized new small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of a brief but remarkable chapter in American monetary history.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 1/198b. Die pairing: obverse 1, reverse 198. 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 1/198b