(1863) White Metal Civil War Patriotic Token F-153/282e, Benjamin Franklin

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 153, a portrait of Benjamin Franklin, whose practical wisdom and inventive spirit were invoked as American ideals worth defending, with reverse die 282 bearing a portrait or inscription referencing General George B. McClellan. McClellan commanded the Army of the Potomac and ran against Lincoln in 1864. 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. Struck in white metal (a lead-tin alloy), producing a silvery appearance. White metal tokens are scarcer than copper and often show softer details due to the alloy's lower hardness. Produced in 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 153/282e. Die pairing: obverse 153, reverse 282. White metal (lead/tin alloy) strikes are scarcer than copper. 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 153/282e