(1864) Civil War Patriotic Token F-146/184g, Rhode Island First in the Field

Coin Details

Auction Record

$456 XF Details 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 146, a political figure or patriotic design from the Civil War era, with reverse die 184 bearing a Rhode Island design inscribed "FIRST IN THE FIELD". Rhode Island's regiment was among the first to respond to Lincoln's call for volunteers. 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 lead, a scarce composition usually associated with trial strikes or presentation pieces. The soft metal preserves sharp die details but is easily damaged. Produced in 1864. 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).

Rarity Notes

Fuld 146/184g. Die pairing: obverse 146, reverse 184. Lead strikes are scarce and often experimental or trial pieces. 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 146/184g