(No Date) Civil War Patriotic Token F-225/327a

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 225, a patriotic or political design from the Civil War era, with reverse die 327 bearing the inscription "THE FEDERAL UNION IT MUST AND SHALL BE PRESERVED". This famous phrase originated as Andrew Jackson's toast during the 1830 Nullification Crisis and was revived as a powerful declaration of Union supremacy. 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. The copper alloy used for this token matched the federal cent specification closely enough that these pieces passed freely in commerce during the coin shortage of 1862-1864. Although undated, this token was manufactured during the 1862-1864 period when private tokens circulated as emergency currency.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 225/327a. Die pairing: obverse 225, reverse 327. 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 225/327a