Civil war tokens-which metal are they? (Edited to exchange token for coin)
Ppp
Posts: 467 ✭✭✭✭
I picked up three civil war tokens, pictures below.
The tokens on the left is:
Date: 1864
F: 51/342
Weighs 2.4 gms
Non magnetic
The middle token is:
Date: 1863
F: 1/229
Weighs 2.4 gms
Non magnetic
The token on the right is:
Date: 1863
F: 37/434
Weighs 3.0 gms
Non magnetic
Copper, brass, nickel, copper-nickel, white metal, German silver, silver, lead, zinc, and silver plate were all used to make these coins. I believe the coins are copper but each failed a sigma test for copper. Copper is the common material used the others are rare.
I am having trouble finding information on weighs for these coins made from different metals. Since zinc’s density is less than copper, could these coins be zinc?
Thank you in advance for your ideas, thoughts, and comments.
Worst case I do know someone with an XR gun.
Comments
I strongly doubt they are zinc, because of it's reactivity...any corrosion would be magnified. They could be any of the others. I have a bronze CWT that is off-metal (it's supposed to be copper) and was supposedly unique in that metal 40 years ago when I bought it.
Those are tokens.
Shorecoll: do you know how much your bronze cwt weighs?
You have three Civil War tokens. They are called patriotic tokens although not all of them supported the union. Some made subtle or not so subtle pro southern statements.
It appears to me that all of those pieces are made of copper or maybe brass. These pieces were most often made in those metals. The first and second pieces appear to have been cleaned. Don’t go any further with that. You can only lower the value.
All three are common varieties. I can work on variety numbers if you like.
I have the hardest time determining the metal on these CWTs, particularly with circulated pieces, between and among copper, C-N. and brass. I can usually tell brass, but not always. It is a tough task. These don't look like zinc, and I tend to agree with Bill that they are likely copper (r-1) but perhaps brass. I think the 51/342 is much higher rarity in brass, maybe even r-7, though rarity umbers are evolving from earlier publications and as a type, it is common. second one looks like cleaned copper, and the third looks definitely copper.
Tom
Billjones and smudge: yes, they are tokens i use tokens and coins interchangeably. I will be more accurate and change the heading.
Billjones: I used “patriotic civil war tokens” book for my information. copper is the most common with a rarity of 1 for each token vs. brass:
-the left token rarity 7,
-the middle token rarity 3, and
-the right token rarity 4
If they are brass then, I would hope, because of the increased rarity they would be more valuable, especially a rarity 7.
Any additional information you could provide would be most appreciated. Thank you
Here are Fuld die varieties from left to right:
Left - 51/342
Center - 1/229
Right - 37/434
All three are common in copper. If you want to hope for brass, I understand, but I'll warn you that it can be hard case to make. I once had a Monitor token that was common in copper, but rare in brass. I had a piece that looked very brassy, but it has be "no question." The experts called it "copper" so "copper" it was.
These guys were not the United States Mint, and they could dump whatever metal into the pot that they felt like. There used to be a distinction between copper and bronze. The trouble is it was too had tell the difference, so the two were merged.
I suggest you get your friend with the XRF to accurately determine the metals... Would be worth your time and a couple of beers (or dinner) to accurately determine exactly what they are. Cheers, RickO
Here is one that has been tested to mostly zinc and other metals such as tin and a couple others i forget. It went off to ngc today and we will find out just how rare it is.
Did you check the edge as I suggested in the other thread where you featured this Our Country piece? You probably could have saved yourself some delayed disappointment.
What about the edge?