(No Date) Civil War Patriotic Token F-165/400a, IN. PRIMITI

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 165, a design with the Latin inscription "IN PRIMITIIS", with reverse die 400 bearing a George Washington portrait or patriotic design. Washington's image invoked the founding ideals of the republic. These privately manufactured cent-sized tokens served as emergency coinage throughout the North from 1862 to 1864. Their production was an entrepreneurial response to the wartime disappearance of federal small change from everyday commerce. Produced in copper, the workhorse metal of Civil War token production. The cent-sized format and familiar copper color allowed these pieces to circulate alongside genuine federal coinage without hesitation. This undated piece was produced circa 1862-1864, during the wartime coin shortage. Collectors classify these tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique obverse and reverse die combination. Rarity ratings range from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

Rarity Notes

Fuld 165/400a. Die pairing: obverse 165, reverse 400. Copper is the most common composition, representing the majority of surviving specimens. 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 165/400a