Silver McClellan Knickerbocker Civil War tokens

Zoins

I recently picked up the following silver Civil War Token by William Bridgens. This is attributed to 1864 when McClellan was running for President as a Democrat against Lincoln. I like the "Knickerbocker Currency" tokens because of their tie to New York with "Knickerbocker" generally meaning "New Yorker". Of note, reading about Major General George Brinton McClellan on Wikipedia was very interesting, especially his war time career, how he was admired by his soldiers but derided by historians. Also of note is that he attend the University of Pennsylvania when he was just 12 years old.

This token / metal combination is rated at R8 which according to Fuld means 5-10 exist. I've only seen 2 of these. This appears to be the only one in the NGC Census at AU58 and there is another at MS64, which I also have. Has anyone seen any others?

Of note, the Smithsonian has a specimen in copper and their description indicates William Bridgens also did the engraving for the popular Lindenmueller Currency tokens. I follow Bridgens and if I had known this at the time, I would have bid aggressively on some off metal Lindenmueller tokens offered a while back.

• Smithsonian: https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1448111

Here are the two tokens, newp followed by oldp:

DCW

I know of another that was in Mark Glazer's Collection:
NGC MS63


Love these off metal strikes from the Civil War era. They were most certainly numismatic delicacies for those interested hence the small quantities struck.
I tend to think of these as patriotics, though, and not struck for his campaign as the Democratic Presidential nominee.

DCW

@Zoins said:

Of note, the Smithsonian has a specimen in copper and their description indicates William Bridgens also did the engraving for the popular Lindenmueller Currency tokens. I follow Bridgens and if I had known this at the time, I would have bid aggressively on some off metal Lindenmueller tokens offered a while back.

Lindenmueller commissioned his famous tokens from Louis Roloff, another prominent diesinker in NYC. Curiously, he signed one of the dies and others are left without his mark:
Edited to add:
Lindenmueller also produced paper scrip for his restaurant.
These are much rarer than the tokens, and they command mucho dinero when offered in auction.

ricko

Very nice... I like 'Knickerbocker' items... and years ago drank Knickerbocker Beer.... (official beer of the NY Giants)...Still see some old Knickerbocker items in antique shops around here....Cheers, RickO