(1863) Copper Civil War Patriotic Token F-92/199a, United States Medal

Coin Details

Auction Record

$85 AU Details 03-31-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 92, an Indian Head design modeled after James B. Longacre's federal cent, the most popular obverse family for patriotic tokens because its resemblance to official coinage helped these privately struck pieces gain public acceptance, with reverse die 199 bearing a "UNITED STATES" or medal-style design. Indian Head dies ranked second in popularity among patriotic token obverses. Die sinkers imitated Longacre's federal cent design because merchants and the public already trusted that familiar image in commerce. Struck in copper, the dominant metal for Civil War patriotic tokens. Copper pieces were accepted interchangeably with federal cents by merchants throughout the North. 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 92/199a. Die pairing: obverse 92, reverse 199. 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 92/199a