(1863) German Silver Civil War Patriotic Token F-23/306j, Army & Navy

Coin Details

Auction Record

$235 MS65 10-10-2023 eBay

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 23, a French-style Liberty head facing left surrounded by thirteen stars, the most common obverse die family on Civil War patriotic tokens, with reverse die 306 bearing the inscription "ARMY & NAVY" within a laurel wreath, often with crossed sabers. This tribute to the Union military was one of the most popular reverse legends, appearing on dozens of die combinations. As part of the most extensive obverse die family, French Liberty heads were mass-produced by competing die sinkers in New York and Connecticut. The classical bust design was popular precisely because it looked like official government coinage. Struck in German silver (a copper-nickel-zinc alloy also called nickel silver), a scarce composition for Civil War tokens. The silvery appearance gave these pieces a more precious look than standard copper issues. Dated 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.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 23/306j. Die pairing: obverse 23, reverse 306. German silver (nickel silver) strikes are scarce. 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 23/306j