(1864) White Metal Civil War Patriotic Token F-56/161e, Our Army

Coin Details

Auction Record

$336 MS63 05-29-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 56, a military-themed obverse with "OUR ARMY" inscription, with reverse die 161 bearing the inscription "OUR ARMY" within a wreath. A tribute to the Union Army defending the republic on battlefields across the South. 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 white metal (a lead-tin alloy), producing a silvery appearance. White metal tokens are scarcer than copper and often show softer details due to the alloy's lower hardness. Produced in 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 56/161e. Die pairing: obverse 56, reverse 161. White metal (lead/tin alloy) strikes are scarcer than copper. 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 56/161e