Anyone want to see my cool new Civil War Token?

goose3 · September 8, 2004 6:49AM

I am hoping Bill Jones will check in and fill all of us in on this item with his knowledge. I don't know much about it other than it is RARE and is not really a CWT even though it was listed as such for some time.

It will fit in nicely with my collection of Monitors!

lordmarcovan · September 8, 2004 6:57AM

Extremely cool. Definitely a "piece of history"!

I presume it's of Northern manufacture, since it calls the ship Merrimac instead of CSS Virginia.

goose3 · September 8, 2004 7:01AM

It was made from the plating of the Merrimac and I think sometime around the turn of the century.

wam98 · September 8, 2004 7:03AM

Hey, that is cool.

oreville · September 8, 2004 7:04AM

Gotta love those capital letters from The Merrimack!

Cool token!

mgoodm3 · September 8, 2004 7:09AM

cool.

RDaneel · September 8, 2004 7:15AM

I'd say it was. Kind of a dig at the Confederacy since it states it was made with the armor of the Merrimac!

That is a good one.

Fuld has it delisted. Rarity of R-8 which means 5 - 10. Reason delisted: "Non-contemporary. Armor plate of Merrimac not available until 1867. Medal probably struck for Jamestown Exposition in 1907 by Old Dominion Iron and Nail works of Richmond, Va."

Dean

shylock · September 8, 2004 7:20AM

Now that's a real piece of history. (link)

goose3 · September 8, 2004 7:22AM

ok, I found some more info in a great book I got on ebay one time for 4.50! Thanks to Dean and Paul for your info too!
I'll just type the entire paragraph.....

Most specimens are holed at the top. ALthough listed by Fuld as a CWT, it is my opinion that this medalet, as well as the other iron pieces listed here, was struck well after the end of the War. Shortly after its famous fight, the Merrimac was sunk; it remained underwater until after the war. Starting in 1867, when a wrecking company recovered the iron ram from the vessel, several efforts were made to raise it. Finally, fifteen years after the battle, the remains of the ironclad were recovered. Numerous souvenirs were made from iron and wood portions of the vessel, and they found a ready market in those area residents who vividly remembered the event.

I'll also add that this is 25mm or about the size of a quarter.

shylock · September 8, 2004 7:42AM

Major congrats John, it fits in very nicely with your other keys.

Considering it's struck in iron that rested at the bottom of the ocean: I'd be curious to hear what condition these are usually found in, if the planchets were taken from the exterior metal surface, and anything else that's known about their creation.