Civil War Tokens, need some help

Frozenink

I am wondering if you guys can recommend a book on the Civil War tokens? I just bought one on TT last night an it turns out that I already had that one. I was going by the title and thought that they are different coins. By looking at the pics I think they are the same.

Token 1861-65 F-450/471 A, United We Stand NGC 65 BN
Token 1861-65 F-449/471 A United We Stand NGC 65 BN lasts night buy.

Is this along the same lines as DM with the Overton system?

Anyway, I am over due a book, so I should invest in one now.

Gary

edited due to poor spelling

garrynot

Gary:

I think what you are going to find is that the obverse design is slightly different, hence the numbers 449 and 450. Here is a site with photos illustrating the dies. Just looking at the two photos of 449 and 450, I can see that the design of the leaves on either side of the flower differ on the two coins. Very neat!


http://cwt.michigano.org/Civil_War_Patriotic_Token_Die_List_32.htm

BillJones

You need to buy a copy of Patriotic Civil War Tokens by George and Melvin Fuld. You could join the Civil War Token Society and get the latest edition at a bargain price.

The dies are different. On the 449 die, the bottom stem on the leaves points to the "W" in "WE.' On the 450 die it points between "D" and "W." The 449/471 variety if rated as an R-3 (501 to 2000 known) which makes it a bit scarcer than the 450/471 die which is an R-1.

This is called a "half card" because the reverse mentions "Drugs, Dry Goods, Groceries, Hardware & notions" which would be something one would expect from a merchant die. Yet the obverse does not mention a merchant's name.

chaze215

Frozenink: Try looking at this site.. I have used it many times as a reference.
Hope this helps.

Chaz

Frozenink

Thanks guys. I have just started getting used to the Overtons and now it all starts again.

OMG, I didnt realize that there are so many of these. My head is spinning.
Gary

garrynot

Thats the same site

Rick used to have such a page on www.indiancent.com

BillJones

<< <i>Thanks guys. I have just started getting used to the Overtons and now it all starts again.

OMG, I didnt realize that there are so many of these. My head is spinning.
Gary >>



Rough numbers there are about 1,600 Patriotic Civil War and about 8,700 merchant store card varieties. Many of these varieties are off-metal pieces (e.g. silver, zinc, nickel NOT copper or brass) which were "made to sell" to 19th century collectors. I much prefer the pieces that were made to be used, not made to be collected. No one has ever collected them all, although David Bowers said he was going to try when he was working on his CWT book. The really great collections have gotten up to 5,000 varieties or so.

I have collected CWTs by topics including Civil War politics, Lincoln tokens, merchant tokens of New England, where I used to live, Indiana Primitives and the picture tokens of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and other cities by John Marr. You can collect these piece however you like and not be out of place.