(1864) Civil War Patriotic Token F-46/339j, Liberty-Shield

Coin Details

Auction Record

$480 MS65 08-11-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 46, a military or patriotic-themed obverse design, with reverse die 339 bearing a Union shield. The shield motif symbolized the defense of the republic. This obverse belongs to a family of military-themed dies spanning slogans, weapons, and patriotic declarations. The variety of designs in this range shows how die sinkers competed to capture the wartime public's appetite for patriotic imagery. Struck in copper, the dominant metal for Civil War patriotic tokens. Copper pieces were accepted interchangeably with federal cents by merchants throughout the North. Produced in 1864. New York City produced over half of all Civil War patriotic tokens, with additional output from Waterbury, Connecticut (center of the brass industry) and Cincinnati, Ohio (home of John Stanton and other prolific die sinkers).

Rarity Notes

Fuld 46/339j. Die pairing: obverse 46, reverse 339. Copper is the most common composition, representing the majority of surviving specimens. 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 46/339j