(1864) Copper Civil War Patriotic Token F-125/432a, No Compromise With Traitors

Coin Details

Auction Record

$408 MS62BN 03-31-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 125, a bust of George Washington, invoking the founding ideals of the republic to frame the Union cause as a continuation of the American Revolution, with reverse die 432 bearing the uncompromising inscription "NO COMPROMISE WITH TRAITORS". This hardline slogan rejected any negotiated settlement with the Confederacy. Washington obverse dies connected the Union cause to the nation's founding principles. The first president's portrait on Civil War tokens reminded Northerners that the republic Washington helped create was worth fighting to preserve. Copper was the standard metal for patriotic tokens, chosen because cent-sized copper pieces could pass as substitute federal cents in everyday commerce. Bearing the date 1864. 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 125/432a. Die pairing: obverse 125, reverse 432. 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 125/432a