(1864) Copper-Nickel Civil War Patriotic Token F-46/339d, Liberty-Shield

Coin Details

Auction Record

$312 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. The copper-nickel composition — the same alloy used for federal Indian Head cents from 1857 to 1864 — makes this a particularly faithful imitation of official government coinage. Produced in 1864. The end of the token era came swiftly in 1864 when Congress authorized new small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of a brief but remarkable chapter in American monetary history.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 46/339d. Die pairing: obverse 46, reverse 339. Copper-nickel is an uncommon composition for Civil War tokens. 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 46/339d