(No Date) Copper-Nickel Civil War Patriotic Token F-229/359d, Our Country

Coin Details

Description

Civil War patriotic token combining Fuld obverse die 229, a design inscribed "OUR COUNTRY", with reverse die 359 bearing the provocative legend "NOT ONE CENT" within a wreath. This seemingly contradictory inscription acknowledged the token had no legal-tender status while it simultaneously served as a cent substitute in everyday commerce. 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. 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. 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 229/359d. Die pairing: obverse 229, reverse 359. 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 229/359d