Freshly graded by PCGS - 1861 Token F-260/447f Concession Before Secession in Silver

Windycity · September 24, 2023 5:50AM

My research does not turn up any other examples struck in silver. Just love the look of this one!!

BillJones · September 24, 2023 5:59AM

The official rating is R-9 in silver, 2 to 4 known. The piece was made in seven metals, all of them scarce to rare.

I have been working on an exhibit of the Unpatriotic Civil War Tokens. Here is the text I wrote for this variety.

In early February, before the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter in April, politicians from the North and South met at the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC. Their hope was that differences could be patched up with the South and that secession and civil war could be avoided. U.S. Mint Director, James Pollack chaired the Pennsylvania delegation to the conference. Other famous figures included former president, John Tyler, and future Treasury Secretary, Salmon Chase.

Many observers, who did not participate, including president-elect, Abraham Lincoln, thought the conference was a waste of effort. Many historians believe that the South used to time during the conference to mobilize for the upcoming war.

During this period, an unknown die sinker produced this well executed token that summed up the issue succinctly as, “concession before secession.” Fuld listed this piece as patriotic token variety 260/447. The variety was struck in brass, copper, copper-nickel, German silver, lead, silver and white metal. All of the individual metallic varieties are rare, but since few numismatists collect these pieces by metal, an example of this variety is obtainable. The estimated combined population is 40 to 82 pieces.