(1864) Copper Civil War Patriotic Token F-76/470a, Hardware & Saddlery

Coin Details

Auction Record

$336 AU58BN 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 76, an Indian Head design modeled after James B. Longacre's federal cent, the most popular obverse family for patriotic tokens because its resemblance to official coinage helped these privately struck pieces gain public acceptance, with reverse die 470 bearing a design featuring "Hardware & Saddlery". As the second-largest obverse die family, Indian Head designs exploited the public's familiarity with the federal cent. The closer a token resembled genuine federal coinage, the more readily it circulated as emergency currency. Produced in copper, the workhorse metal of Civil War token production. The cent-sized format and familiar copper color allowed these pieces to circulate alongside genuine federal coinage without hesitation. Bearing the date 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 76/470a. Die pairing: obverse 76, reverse 470. 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 76/470a