Expert: PAPAJACK - 11/10/2008

Question
QUESTION: I have a our navy coin, no date,head on other side of guy with crown looks like columbus. size of penny. It looks like it's dated around 1800's.  help

ANSWER: Hello Lisa,          

It likely is a Hard Times Token. Yours is political in nature. There were many different patterns of these made, mottos like FIRST IN WAR or OUR NAVY were very popular ones.

They were made during the depression leading up to the US Civil War 1862 to 1865 or so. All of the hard money (Silver, Gold and Copper) was being hoarded by both sides, North and South.

Nobody knew who would win the war. Money was hoarded to the point that none was available for daily transactions. This caused many businesses and associations political and otherwise to create their own small change so to speak.  Both Store Card, usually with a store name and address on it, saying it’s redeemable for one cent worth from the store,  And the political type you have.  So it is a token given in commerce in place of a cent since there were no cents to give in change.

I am not sure what the token you have is without seeing it, there were none I have seen with Columbus on them but many other portraits of men were used.
Sometimes they were issued for very short periods.  You did not say if there were any other mottos or a denomination on the piece.  It might be a medal for a person in the service of the government or a merchant token for something like the PX on an army base.

Without seeing it there is no way to research it. The common ones sell from $6.00 to $14.00 dollars.

Try taking a look at the web site below for a pictures and more information..
http://www.civilwartokens.com
http://www.cwtsociety.com
http://www.tokenandmedal.org
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=token%2C+1

I hope this information is helpful.

Feel free to ask another question about US Coins.

Good Luck

PapaJack


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I found it on site. It was an 1811 our navy coin. It sold for 350.00

Answer
Hello again Lisa,          

Glad one of the sites I mentioned was right for you.
You should look at the date again though and carefully compare your piece to it. If it was an 1811 date as you wrote in this question it would usually have been larger than a US Cent. Did you mean 1861?

Either way I am always happy to help. Feel free to ask me any question on US Coins.
Thank You and Good Luck

PapaJack