(No Date) Civil War Patriotic Token F-51/334j, Our Army

Coin Details

Auction Record

$156 MS62 08-22-2018 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 51, an Indian princess or Liberty head design with military inscriptions, with reverse die 334 bearing the inscription "OUR ARMY" within a wreath. A tribute to the Union Army defending the republic on battlefields across the South. Dies in this military obverse range capture the martial spirit of the Northern home front. Slogans, weapons, and military insignia dominate these designs, reflecting the public's intense focus on the progress and prosecution of the war. The copper composition ensured these tokens closely matched the weight, size, and color of federal Indian Head cents, facilitating their acceptance in daily transactions. Undated, but produced during the wartime token era of 1862-1864 when Americans hoarded federal coins and merchants turned to privately struck substitutes. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute. Americans began hoarding federal coins following the suspension of specie payments in December 1861, creating the currency vacuum that patriotic tokens filled.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 51/334j. Die pairing: obverse 51, reverse 334. 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 51/334j