(1863) Civil War Patriotic Token F-98/291a, ONE COUNTRY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 98, a design inscribed "ONE COUNTRY", with reverse die 291 bearing a design featuring "One Country". 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. Copper was the standard metal for patriotic tokens, chosen because cent-sized copper pieces could pass as substitute federal cents in everyday commerce. Produced in 1863. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, and the introduction of fractional currency notes and new bronze two-cent pieces gradually eliminated the need for emergency tokens. The token era demonstrated that private enterprise could fill a gap in the nation's monetary system when the government proved unable to maintain adequate circulating coinage.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 98/291a. Die pairing: obverse 98, reverse 291. 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 98/291a