Civil War Token, United States, 1861
Civil War Token, United States, 1861
Previous
Next
Usage conditions apply
- Description (Brief)
- One (1) Civil War token
- United States, 1861
- Obverse Image: Man with a large hat, bandanna around his neck, and a shirt decorated with stars.
- Obverse Text: I AM READY / 1861
- Reverse Image: Approximately forty (40) stars.
- Reverse Words: THE UNION MUST & SHALL BE PRESERVED
- Edge: Smooth
- Description
- There are numerous examples of Civil War Tokens that display sentiments in favor of the Union. Many of the patriotic series Civil War Tokens were issued in New York. The lack of tokens in the South has been attributed to the fact that the majority of private minters were located in the North. This token depicts a pro-Union stance: “I AM READY” and “THE UNION MUST & SHALL BE PRESERVED.” Once these tokens were circulated, they would remind their user of the Union’s justifications for war and buoy up nationalist spirits.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Object Name
- token
- date made
- 1861
- place made
- United States
- Physical Description
- copper (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 3.1 cm; 1 7/32 in
- ID Number
- 2013.0023.006
- accession number
- 2013.0023
- catalog number
- 2013.0023.006
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
- Civil War
- Coins, Currency and Medals
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.
Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.
