(No Date) Civil War Patriotic Token F-53/336d, Our Navy

Coin Details

Auction Record

$480 MS64 06-07-2020 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 53, an Indian princess or Liberty head design with military inscriptions, with reverse die 336 bearing the inscription "OUR NAVY" within a wreath. A salute to the Union Navy, which maintained the blockade of Southern ports that strangled Confederate commerce. This obverse belongs to a family of military-themed dies spanning slogans, weapons, and patriotic declarations. The variety of designs in this range shows how die sinkers competed to capture the wartime public's appetite for patriotic imagery. Struck in copper-nickel, an uncommon composition for Civil War tokens. The heavier copper-nickel alloy gave these pieces a silvery appearance and greater heft than standard copper issues. This undated token was struck during the Civil War coin shortage era of 1862-1864, when most patriotic token production occurred. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, and the introduction of fractional currency notes and new bronze two-cent pieces gradually eliminated the need for emergency tokens.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 53/336d. Die pairing: obverse 53, reverse 336. 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 53/336d