(1863) German Silver Civil War Patriotic Token F-68/199j, United States Medal

Coin Details

Auction Record

$447 MS65 03-03-2016 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 68, 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. The Indian Head obverse deliberately copied the federal cent design to maximize public acceptance. These tokens were so convincing that many survive today mistakenly identified as genuine federal cents rather than privately issued substitutes. 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. The end of the token era came swiftly in 1864 when Congress authorized new small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of a brief but remarkable chapter in American monetary history.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 68/199j. Die pairing: obverse 68, reverse 199. 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 68/199j