(No Date) Civil War Patriotic Token F-223/328a

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 223, a patriotic or political design from the Civil War era, with reverse die 328 bearing a patriotic wreath or inscription reverse. Civil War patriotic tokens were privately struck cent-sized pieces that circulated as emergency currency during 1862-1864, when wartime hoarding drained federal coinage from commerce. Over 25 million patriotic tokens were produced before Congress banned private coinage in April 1864. Copper was overwhelmingly preferred for patriotic token production because it replicated the look, feel, and weight of federal Indian Head cents. Merchants rarely questioned copper tokens placed alongside genuine cents in the cash drawer. This undated token was struck during the Civil War coin shortage era of 1862-1864, when most patriotic token production occurred. Die sinkers produced patriotic tokens on hand-operated screw presses capable of striking several hundred pieces per hour. The largest manufacturers maintained multiple presses and employed teams of workers to meet the enormous wartime demand.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 223/328a. Die pairing: obverse 223, reverse 328. 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 223/328a