(No Date) Civil War Patriotic Token F-299/350e, Army & Navy

Coin Details

Auction Record

$168 MS62 08-22-2018 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 299, a patriotic or political design from the Civil War era, with reverse die 350 bearing the inscription "ARMY & NAVY" within a laurel wreath, often with crossed sabers. This tribute to the Union military was one of the most popular reverse legends, appearing on dozens of die combinations. 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-nickel composition — the same alloy used for federal Indian Head cents from 1857 to 1864 — makes this a particularly faithful imitation of official government coinage. Undated, but produced during the wartime token era of 1862-1864 when Americans hoarded federal coins and merchants turned to privately struck substitutes.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 299/350e. Die pairing: obverse 299, reverse 350. Copper-nickel is an uncommon composition for Civil War tokens. 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 299/350e