(1863) Civil War Patriotic Token F-198/360b, Not One Cent

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 198, a Federal Union loyalty or patriotic design, 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. 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. 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. Produced in 1863. Die sinkers produced patriotic tokens on hand-operated screw presses capable of striking several hundred pieces per hour. The largest manufacturers maintained multiple presses and employed teams of workers to meet the enormous wartime demand.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 198/360b. Die pairing: obverse 198, reverse 360. 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 198/360b