It is also 155th anniversary of the Union victory at Vicksburg, Mississippi

BillJones

The July 4, 1863 timeframe was the worst period for the Confederate States of America before the surrender of Lee’s Army in April 1865. In addition to the crushing defeat at Gettysburg, which many historians consider to be the turning point of the Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant forced the surrender of Confederate forces at Vicksburg, Mississippi on July 4 after a lengthy siege.

Vicksburg was the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. Once it fell, the South was divided in two. The South was so divided that it could not even get currency to the areas west of the Mississippi. Instead they issued old canceled notes that were called “the trans Mississippi issues.”

Congress awarded a massive gold medal to General Grant for his victory at Vicksburg. The medal is 105 mm in diameter, and the gold piece, that was awarded to Grant, weighted 28.77 ounces. Here is the copper version of that piece. The reported mintage was 126 pieces.

And here is modern photo of the gold piece, which is in the Smithsonian Collection.

On a more modest note, this piece was issued after Grant's Vicksburg victory. It is fairly common, but finding an attractive example is somewhat difficult. These pieces were issued in 1864 and again in 1868 during Grant's first presidential campaign. I believe that this piece could have been listed as a Civil War token, given that it was issued in 1864, but those who make those determinations have not chosen to do that.