(1863) Civil War Patriotic Token F-91/432d, No Compromise With Traitors

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 91, an Indian Head design commonly paired with "NO COMPROMISE WITH TRAITORS" and "ARMY & NAVY" reverses, with reverse die 432 bearing the uncompromising inscription "NO COMPROMISE WITH TRAITORS". This hardline slogan rejected any negotiated settlement with the Confederacy. Indian Head obverse dies were the second most popular family, closely imitating the design of the federal Indian Head cent introduced in 1859. By echoing James B. Longacre's official design, these tokens blurred the line between private and government coinage. 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. Dated 1863. The end of the token era came swiftly in 1864 when Congress authorized new small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of a brief but remarkable chapter in American monetary history.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 91/432d. Die pairing: obverse 91, reverse 432. 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 91/432d