View All Washington Civil War Tokens & Medals

1863 Token F-120/256e GW-578 White Metal Horrors of War Civil War Patriotic

Strike Type
1863 Token F-120/256e GW-578 White Metal Horrors of War Civil War Patriotic

Coin Details

Year
1863
Denomination
Medals
Strike Type
Regular Strike
Series
George Washington Medals
Composition
White Metal

Auction Record

$504 MS61 11-18-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1863 Civil War patriotic token F-120/256e (GW-578) in white metal is the scarcer version of the "Horrors of War" design. The same die pair — Washington portrait obverse (120) and Horrors of War reverse (256) — is struck in tin-based white metal, producing a silvery piece that contrasts with the common copper version. White metal strikings of the Horrors of War token were produced in limited quantities, for collectors rather than circulation. The soft alloy would not have withstood the rigors of pocket change. The dramatic message takes on added visual impact in the bright white metal format. While copper versions of the Horrors of War token are obtainable with patience, white metal examples are genuinely scarce and command premium prices when they appear at auction. Washington medals provide a unique window into American material culture, documenting how successive generations have interpreted and presented the legacy of the nation's first president through the intimate medium of medallic art.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 120/256e in white metal. Scarce composition. Significantly rarer than copper.

Cross References

Fuld 120/256e; Musante-Baker GW-578; PCGS #788423

External References

Error Varieties

No listings found

This category doesn't have any child listings yet.