The Civil War Token Journal

2005·8.4 MB·English

by  Civil War Token Society

CiviIWar
Token
Journal
Do
What You
Collect?
Oursales cover allphases ofExonumia, Civil War, Trade Tokens, GoodFor
Mirrors, Encased, Counterstampedcoins, Transportation, Military, Brunswick
Balke andother categories too numerous to list
f\ We
are also looking for consignments ofworthwhile material
for our auctions.
Our Mail BidAuctions andPrices Realizedarefree (you can't beat thatprice!).
PAUL KOPPENHAVER
L.
CA
P. O. Box 34056 Granada Hills, 91394
FAX
1-818-832-8068 1-818-832-8987
PNG-LM3 TAMS-LM46 ANA-LMS47 CWTS-LM57 CPNA-LM1 NATC4-CMI1
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THE CIVILWAR TOKEN JOURNAL is produced bytheCivil WarToken Societytohelp
stimulateand maintain interest in thefield ofCivil Wartoken collecting. It is strictlya
non-profit organization. TheJournalis published quarterly: Spring, Summer, Fall and
Winter Singlecopypriceis $2.50. Membership in CWTS is $10 peryear, payablein
advanceand includes asubscriptionto TheJournal.
CIVIL WAR TOKEN SOCIETY OFFICERS
President Secretary VicePresident
MarkGlazer DaleCade SteveTanenbaum
PO Box81 26548MazurDr. PO Box297068 KtngswaySta.
SilverSpring, MD20918 Rancho PalosVerdes, CA90275 Brooklyn. NY 11229-7068
[phone] [phone] [phone]
glazermt@aolcom
Treasurer PastPresident Editor
SusanTrask MichaelTramte Willard R. Mumford
P.O Box959 1019AlpineDr. 1747 Long Green Dr.
BlueJay, CA92317 Green Bay, Wl54311 Annapolis, MD21401
[phone] [phone] [phone]
susantrask@mindsprmgcom
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Dave Bowers LarryDziubek Don Erlenkotter
P.O. Box539 P.O Box235 10616 Ranch Rd.
Wolfeboro Falls, NH 03896 Connoquenessing, PA 16027 CulverCity, CA90230-5457
[email protected] [phone] [phone]
(2004-2005) (2005-2006) (2005-2006)
SteveHayden MarkJervis Bill Nash
P.O. Box571 1214 WillowBrookLn. 1160Via Ixtapa
Mauldin, SC29662 Gillette,WY82718 Corona, CA92882
[phone] [phone] [phone]
(2004-2005) (2004-2005) (2004-2005)
Tom Reed DavidVogan
12348StateRte. 34 10012FarleyLn.
Bryan, OH43506 Overland Park, KS66212
[phone] [phone]
(2005-2006) (2005-2006)
OTHER CWTS OFFICERS
PUBLICITY PUBLISHER AUCTION MANAGER
RobertJ Dalessandro PaulA. Cunningham DavidVroom
14 KirbySt. BoxOne 21511 PepperberryTr.
Ft. LeonardWood, MO65473 Tecumseh, Ml49286 Spring,TX 77388
[phone] [phone] 281-288-3870
[email protected]
LEGAL COUNSEL VERIFICATION LIBRARIAN
David Gladfelter Dave Bowers Don Shawhan
228Winding Way P.O. Box539 3324 Waldo Blvd
Moorestown, NJ 08057 Wolfeboro, NH 03896 Manitowoc, Wl54220
[phone] [phone]
COMPUTER LIASION BOOK DISTRIBUTER INTERNET COORDINATOR
[
Ralph Langham Jud Petrie ErnieLatter
PO Box8308 Box403 P.O Box26
New Fairfield, CT06812 Freeport, ME04032 Sanilac, Ml48469
[phone] [phone] [phone]
PUBLICATION DEADLINES
ISSUES ADVERTISING & EDITORIALPUBLICATION DATE
Spring No 1 December 10 March 1
SummerNo 2 March 10 June
1
Fail No. 3 June 10 September
1
WinterNo. 4 September 10 December
1
Copyright2005CivilWarToken Society
Email Contacts
President-Mike Tramte [email protected]
Past President-Richard Watts [email protected]
Cade 310-378-4182
Secretary-Dale
Treasurer-Susan Trask [email protected]
Mumford [email protected]
Editor-Willard
Board of Governors:
Steve Hayden [email protected]
Mark Glazer [email protected]
Dave Bowers [email protected]
Larry Dzuibek [email protected]
Mark Jervis [email protected]
David Vogan [email protected]
John Evans [email protected]
Tom Reed [email protected]
Cunningham [email protected]
Publisher-Paul
Auction Manager-David Vroom [email protected]
Internet Manager-Ernie Latter [email protected]
[email protected]
Legal Counsel-David Gladfelter
Shawhan [email protected]
Librarian-Don
[email protected]
Book Manager-Jud Petrie
New
Reprints Available
The fifth and sixth journal reprints are now available to the membership.
They cover the years 1987-1996 and include a 30 year index. These books are not
only quite informative, but beautiful as well. Unfortunately due to higher printing
costs and the massive size ofthese books we have had to restructure the prices. At
CWTS
the old rate of 2 volumes for S25, the would actually lose money. There-
fore, when ordering reprints, any one volume will now be $20, and any others
ordered at the same time will be at the rate of $15 each. This is still one of the
best deals in numismatic literature available. Any one of these books would cost
over $50 on the open market. As the cost of making these books available to the
membership has seriously depleted our treasury, and our hopes to have a new
edition of the Patriotic book printed in the near future, I urge you all to purchase
these books. especially would recommend these to new members You will not
I .
CWTS
only receive reprints of every journal, but you will be aiding the in bring-
ing you new reference materials in the future. As always, please make your check
payable to "CWTS", include your membership number, and mail to me: Jud
Petrie POBox 403 Freeport, Maine 04032.
2 Spring 2005
Sterling A. Rachootin
A short time ago attended a symposium at the Huntington Library
I New
just outside the City of Los Angeles entitled "Crossing Boundaries:
Perspectives on Civil War Military and Cultural History . Leading histor-
ians from many Universities were the guest speakers, and it was a real
treat and a wonderful opportunity to be in their presence.
During lunch break was seated with other Civil War enthusiasts
I
when the discussion focused on why each of us were attending this two-
day affair. One person was a writer of historical books, another was a Civil
War enactor, another was a past president of a Civil War Round Table
group in the Los Angeles area, and when it was my turn to introduce
myself, mentioned that was a collector of Civil War tokens, took photos
I I
of my tokens, put together slide shows, and wrote articles for our quarterly
journal, etc. At this point the past president of the Civil War Round Table
War
Group mentioned she never heard of and knew nothing about Civil
tokens, so proceeded to provide her with a background and introduction
I
to the field of tokens. She showed great interest, and then asked if I would
be kind enough to be a speaker at a future meeting of her group. I agreed
readily without thinking
soon became very apprehensive about giving a slide show to
I panorama
these people as they are very knowledgeable about the entire
How
of this era of our history and didn't want to bore them for an hour.
I
must proceed? After thinking and rethinking an approach, I finally
I
decided to give them an historical, numismatic history of American coin-
age with an emphasis on the Civil War and Civil War tokens in particular.
One difficulty we Americans have growing up in the world's richest and
makes
mightiest country with its high standard of living, is that it it difficult
for us to realize that in our beginnings we were a pool of struggling second
class inhabitants living under the yoke of a ruling king out to exploit us at
every turn and times have greatly changed.
The American colonies suffered the effects of mercantilism. Eng-
land made the colonies dependent on her. We could not coin our own
money, we were not allowed to trade with other foreign countries, and we
had to supply the mother country with raw materials and buy the finished
products from her in turn. The colonies were forced to use strange money,
such as wampum, hand forged nails, beaver pelts, tobacco, etc.
Civil War Token Society 3
Slide 1 - hand forged nails & wampum
Slide 2 - Colonial paper issues
England permitted the colonies to mint paper money as other
countries would not accept it. Hard currency, gold and silver, remained
under the control of England, our exploiters. It was unlawful to mint coins
in the colonies.
4 Spring 2005
Slide 3 -Pillar dollar
The Spanish piece of eight became the standard coin of the col-
onies and our silver dollar was based on it, both in purity and weight.
Spanish coins were based on a system of eight, and often we had to cut
the eight reales piece to make change hence four bits was 50 cents, and
,
two bits became our quarter dollar, etc.
Slide 4 - Foreign coins, francs and thalers, etc.
Foreign coins were eagerly accepted in trade in the colonies and
were legal tender, especially New World gold and silver of Latin America.
Civil War Token Society 5
Slide 5 - Broken bank note
After the Revolutionary War was won, the individual states had the
right to set up banks and issue their own paper currency. The United
States had three types of currency circulating: (1) U.S. government issued
copper, silver, and gold coins, (2) state bank issued paper currency, (3)
and foreign silver and gold coins. It is estimated that there was only one
minor U.S. silver coin circulating in the U.S. per person in the year 1830.
Slide 6 - California gold coins, 25 cents, 50 sents, and $1.00
The California gold rush finally provided our government enough
money in its treasury to demonitize foreign coins in our economy by the
year 1857.
6 Spring 2005
Slide 7 - Flying eagle small cents replaced large cents in 1857.
They had a short life span of two years being minted.
Slide 8 - Hard Times tokens Issued 1832 to 1844
During this period a huge depression occurred and private tokens
about the size of the large cents were created. Many were of a political
nature and satirized Andrew Jackson and his fight with the federal banks.
These were American precursors to the Civil War tokens which followed
later in 1862.
Slide 9 - English copper Conder tokens
During the Napoleonic War, England suffered, since no coinage
was produced at this time, and the Industrial Revolution was in full swing,
so emergency tokens were produced from 1790 to 1812 to aid commerce.
They were accepted by the populace.
Civil War Token Society 7
Slide 10 - In 1811 and 1812 private English silver tokens appeared.
At this point the Crown finally stepped in and outlawed the private
minting of all tokens in England. The minting of coins was the domain of
the Crown and all private minted tokens designed to replace or compete
with official English coins were outlawed.
Slide 11 - Cardboard chits were introduced to alleviate the coin
shortage around 1862 in the North.
After a year of fighting and no Union victory in sight, plus the fact
that the Confederacy was winning most of the battles, fear and hysteria
swept over the country. People began hoarding all forms of money, com-
merce began to stagnate, and speculation in coins began in earnest. Mil-
lions of dollars in silver coins were exported to Canada and Latin America,
just when America was beginning to feel financially secure.
8 Spring 2005