(1863) Civil War Patriotic Token F-197/380a

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 197, a Federal Union loyalty or patriotic design, with reverse die 380 bearing the inscription "ERINNERUNG" (German for "Remembrance"). German-language inscriptions reflected the large German-American community that supported the Union. This obverse belongs to a diverse family of shield, artillery, and text-based designs. Die sinkers in this range experimented with both pictorial and typographic approaches to patriotic messaging on cent-sized tokens. Produced in copper, the workhorse metal of Civil War token production. The cent-sized format and familiar copper color allowed these pieces to circulate alongside genuine federal coinage without hesitation. Produced in 1863. Collectors classify these tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique obverse and reverse die combination. Rarity ratings range from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

Rarity Notes

Fuld 197/380a. Die pairing: obverse 197, reverse 380. 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 197/380a