(No Date) Token Miller Pa-334 Copper, R. Lovett Jr.

Coin Details

Description

Robert Lovett Jr. (1826-1899) was a Philadelphia die sinker and engraver, member of the celebrated Lovett family of American engravers. He is most famous for designing the Confederate cent in 1861, a pattern piece commissioned by the Confederacy that Lovett hid for years after the war fearing prosecution. His tokens (Miller Pa-344M, Pa-344N, Pa-354) demonstrate the technical skill that made the Lovett family the preeminent American die-sinking dynasty of the nineteenth century. Struck in copper, this token matched the federal large cent in appearance and weight, making it immediately recognizable to the public. Copper remained the dominant planchet choice for merchant tokens throughout the antebellum and Civil War periods. Cataloged as Miller Pa-334 in the standard reference for American merchant tokens. This token type is part of a broader tradition of private American coinage stretching from colonial times through the Civil War era. Authentication of merchant store cards relies on die characteristics, metal analysis, and provenance, as counterfeits of the rarest varieties exist.

Rarity Notes

Copper striking, the standard metal for merchant tokens of this period. Miller Pa-334. Robert Lovett Jr. issued 4 known token varieties.

Cross References

Miller Pa-334