(1863) Civil War Patriotic Token F-136/397a, Union Must Be Preserved

Coin Details

Auction Record

$336 MS67BN 08-11-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 136, a portrait of Andrew Jackson, whose famous 1830 toast "The Federal Union — It must and shall be preserved" was revived as a Union rallying cry, with reverse die 397 bearing the inscription "THE UNION MUST AND SHALL BE PRESERVED". Andrew Jackson obverse dies revived the seventh president's famous 1830 anti-nullification toast, drawing a parallel between the Nullification Crisis and the secession crisis three decades later. Jackson's forceful assertion of federal supremacy resonated powerfully with Union supporters. The copper alloy used for this token matched the federal cent specification closely enough that these pieces passed freely in commerce during the coin shortage of 1862-1864. Dated 1863. Patriotic tokens circulated freely throughout the Northern states from mid-1862 through 1864. Merchants accepted them alongside genuine federal cents, and many tokens show heavy wear consistent with extended use in commerce.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 136/397a. Die pairing: obverse 136, reverse 397. Copper is the most common composition, representing the majority of surviving specimens. 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 136/397a