1889 Token Schenkman MO-15 White Metal John Ericsson

Coin Details

Auction Record

$360 MS62PL 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1889 white metal token, cataloged as Schenkman MO-15, depicts the USS Monitor, John Ericsson's revolutionary ironclad warship that fought the CSS Virginia in the famous Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862 — the first battle between iron-armored warships in history. The token honors John Ericsson, the Swedish-American inventor and engineer who designed the Monitor with its innovative rotating gun turret that transformed naval warfare worldwide. Ericsson died on March 8, 1889, and this token was produced as a memorial tribute. The Schenkman catalog reference places this within a reference for tokens depicting naval and military subjects. The Monitor's distinctive low-profile design with its single revolving turret became iconic in American military history and spawned an entire class of warships named "monitors" that served the U.S. Navy for decades afterward.

Rarity Notes

White metal, Schenkman MO-15. John Ericsson memorial token. Naval history crossover appeal.

Cross References

Schenkman MO-15; PCGS #901934; John Ericsson / Monitor, White Metal, 1889