Civil War Patriotic Token Dated 1863 - "SHOOT HIM ON THE SPOT"

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This excavated Civil War patriotic token dated 1863 is in very good condition. It has a pleasing copperish-brown patina with no bends. On the obverse are 13 stars around the flag with "THE FLAG OF OUR UNION / 1863" at the rim. On the reverse is " * IF ANYBODY ATTEMPTS TO TEAR IT DOWN / ** SHOOT HIM ON THE SPOT ** / DIX"

Patriotic tokens were privately minted in the early days of the American Civil war and were used as currency in parts of the country due to an insufficient number of government issued cents. The United States Congress passed a law on April 22, 1864, banning their use. The letters "DIX" in the center on the reverse refers to John Adams Dix, who served as the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury in 1861. Early in the Civil War, Secretary Dix sent a fiery dispatch to a revenue cutter captain in New Orleans who hesitated to follow orders: "IF ANYBODY ATTEMPTS TO TEAR IT DOWN, SHOOT HIM ON THE SPOT".

Reference: Examples of various types of excavated tokens are found in the following relic reference books:

  • "Civil War Artifacts" by Howard Crouch on page 45.
  • "Excavated Artifacts from Battlefields and Campsites of The Civil War" by Stanley S. Phillips on page 128.
  • "Excavated Artifacts from Battlefields and Campsites of The Civil War Supplement One" by Stanley S. Phillips on page 158.

See above pages in additional images.

This token was included with a collection of other excavated Civil War relics acquired by Virginia Relics. Many of the items were recovered from both Virginia and Pennsylvania. It will be an excellent example to add to any excavated Civil War currency or general relic collection.

Product Code:
PC10423
This brand is available for:
CURRENCY , NEW ITEMS , GREAT GIFT IDEAS , MISC. EXCAVATED ITEMS

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