(1863) Civil War Patriotic Token F-68/359d, Not One Cent

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 68, an Indian Head design modeled after James B. Longacre's federal cent, the most popular obverse family for patriotic tokens because its resemblance to official coinage helped these privately struck pieces gain public acceptance, with reverse die 359 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. As the second-largest obverse die family, Indian Head designs exploited the public's familiarity with the federal cent. The closer a token resembled genuine federal coinage, the more readily it circulated as emergency currency. The copper-nickel composition — the same alloy used for federal Indian Head cents from 1857 to 1864 — makes this a particularly faithful imitation of official government coinage. Bearing the date 1863.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 68/359d. Die pairing: obverse 68, reverse 359. 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 68/359d