(No Date) Brass Civil War Patriotic Token F-105/229b, Our Country

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 105, a bust of George Washington, invoking the founding ideals of the republic to frame the Union cause as a continuation of the American Revolution, with reverse die 229 bearing the inscription "OUR COUNTRY". A powerful assertion of national identity and collective ownership of the republic. Washington obverse dies connected the Union cause to the nation's founding principles. The first president's portrait on Civil War tokens reminded Northerners that the republic Washington helped create was worth fighting to preserve. The brass composition, while less common than copper, produced tokens with a distinctive yellow-gold appearance. Waterbury, Connecticut — the brass capital of America — supplied much of the raw material for token production. This undated piece was produced circa 1862-1864, during the wartime coin shortage. New York City produced over half of all Civil War patriotic tokens, with additional output from Waterbury, Connecticut (center of the brass industry) and Cincinnati, Ohio (home of John Stanton and other prolific die sinkers).

Rarity Notes

Fuld 105/229b. Die pairing: obverse 105, reverse 229. Brass strikes are less common 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 105/229b