(1863) Civil War Patriotic Token F-83/264b, Pay the Bearer

Coin Details

Auction Record

$360 MS62 09-02-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 83, a design inscribed "PAY THE BEARER", with reverse die 264 bearing the inscription "PAY THE BEARER". This promissory language mimicked official currency phrasing. 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 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. Bearing the date 1863. New York City produced over half of all Civil War patriotic tokens, with additional output from Waterbury, Connecticut (center of the brass industry) and Cincinnati, Ohio (home of John Stanton and other prolific die sinkers).

Rarity Notes

Fuld 83/264b. Die pairing: obverse 83, reverse 264. 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 83/264b