(1863) Civil War Patriotic Token F-1/360d, NOT ONE CENT

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 360 bearing the provocative legend "NOT ONE CENT" within a wreath. This seemingly contradictory inscription acknowledged the token had no legal-tender status while it simultaneously served as a cent substitute in everyday commerce. 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. Struck in copper-nickel, an uncommon composition for Civil War tokens. The heavier copper-nickel alloy gave these pieces a silvery appearance and greater heft than standard copper issues. 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 1/360d. Die pairing: obverse 1, reverse 360. Copper-nickel is an uncommon composition for Civil War tokens. 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 1/360d