(No Date) Copper Civil War Patriotic Token F-506/508a, Lincoln-Breckinridge

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 506, a clean-shaven portrait of Abraham Lincoln inscribed "FOR PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN OF ILL." — campaign tokens struck by Benjamin True of Cincinnati for the 1860 presidential election, with reverse die 508 bearing a portrait of John C. Breckinridge. Breckinridge later served as a Confederate general and Secretary of War. The 1860 political campaign die series includes portraits of all four presidential candidates: Lincoln, Douglas, Bell, and Breckinridge. These campaign tokens, struck by Benjamin True of Cincinnati, also include provocative secession-themed designs that are paradoxically among the most prized by modern collectors. Struck in copper, the dominant metal for Civil War patriotic tokens. Copper pieces were accepted interchangeably with federal cents by merchants throughout the North. This undated token was struck during the Civil War coin shortage era of 1862-1864, when most patriotic token production occurred.

Rarity Notes

Fuld 506/508a. Die pairing: obverse 506, reverse 508. 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 506/508a