(1942) Token Pattern - RB-42-70-T-4

Coin Details

Description

Reed-Brenner 42-70-T-4 is the fourth experimental wartime token pattern from 1942. As the T-series progressed, the Mint tested increasingly varied materials and configurations, seeking the optimal balance between production feasibility, durability, and public acceptance. The token program represented one of the most radical proposals in American coinage history — the temporary replacement of a circulating denomination with a non-coin substitute. While wartime necessity drove the proposal, it raised fundamental questions about what constitutes money and whether the public would accept government-issued tokens as equivalent to coins. Historical experience with private Civil War tokens indicated that Americans would accept substitute pieces when official coinage was unavailable, but a government-sponsored token program would have been unprecedented in United States monetary history.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8. Extremely rare. Population in single digits.

Cross References

Reed-Brenner RB-42-70-T-4; 1942 wartime token experiment