(1863) Copper Civil War Patriotic Token F-207/412a, The Flag of Our Union

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 207, a design depicting the American flag circled by thirteen stars inscribed "THE FLAG OF OUR UNION," one of the most popular obverse die families, expressing loyalty to the national standard, with reverse die 412 bearing the inscription "OUR UNION". A personal and possessive declaration of loyalty to the Union. "Flag of Our Union" obverses were produced in large quantities because the American flag was the single most powerful patriotic symbol available. These dies were versatile workhorses, paired with dozens of different reverse dies to create hundreds of distinct varieties. Struck in copper, the dominant metal for Civil War patriotic tokens. Copper pieces were accepted interchangeably with federal cents by merchants throughout the North. Dated 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 207/412a. Die pairing: obverse 207, reverse 412. 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 207/412a