Click Here To See More Above is a classic 1863 American Civil War token. Much of its original lustre is still present, although it doesn't show up well in the scan. A portrait of George Washington is on the obverse and the inscription “New York” appears on the reverse.
Tokens are often produced when a government or monarch fail to produce enough low denomination coinage. This commonly seems to occur during civil wars although it is possible for tokens to flourish in less violent times, such as the Industrial Revolution. Unlike normal coinage, tokens are produced by businesses and private organisations, demonstrating how free markets can come to the rescue when centralised monetary systems fail to cope.
The companies that produced tokens soon realised that they could advertise their products on them. Political messages were also inscribed on them, such as the abolition of taxes and black slavery. The pictorial messages on these tokens were a very effective form of mass communication during a time when television didn’t exist and most people were illiterate. Remember that the average coin can pass through thousands of peoples’ hands in its lifetime.
Josiah Wedgewood, the founder of the world famous pottery company and grandfather to Charles Darwin, famously designed and mass produced anti slavery medallions, an early form of political jewellery. As well as becoming a popular 18th century fashion accessory, they also highlighted the plight of the black slaves far and wide. Soon anti slavery messages appeared on numerous tokens as well.
1863 American Civil War Token, obverse featuring bust of George Washington and reverse with "New York" inscription and stars
If you would like to find out more about the American Civil War token featured in this blog please click here. Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you found it interesting!
No comments:
Post a Comment