(1863) Copper-Nickel Civil War Patriotic Token F-0/457do, Strk Over 1863 1C Patriotic Cent

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 0, a patriotic or political design from the Civil War era, with reverse die 457 bearing a design featuring "Strk Over 1863 1C Patriotic Cent". 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. 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. 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 0/457do. Die pairing: obverse 0, reverse 457. 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 0/457do