(1863) Copper Civil War Patriotic Token F-159/469a, Dry Goods and Groceries

Coin Details

Auction Record

$264 XF45BN 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 159, a commercial design advertising "DRY GOODS AND GROCERIES", with reverse die 469 bearing a design featuring "Douglas/Bell". These privately manufactured cent-sized tokens served as emergency coinage throughout the North from 1862 to 1864. Their production was an entrepreneurial response to the wartime disappearance of federal small change from everyday commerce. Produced in copper, the workhorse metal of Civil War token production. The cent-sized format and familiar copper color allowed these pieces to circulate alongside genuine federal coinage without hesitation. Produced in 1863. Collectors classify these tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique obverse and reverse die combination. Rarity ratings range from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique). 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 159/469a. Die pairing: obverse 159, reverse 469. 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 159/469a