These Civil War Tokens Saved the Day! At the onset of the Civil War in 1861, many citizens began hoarding their coins, leaving few in circulation. Suddenly, coins became worth more than their face value and commerce nearly ground to a halt. To make up for this shortage, private minters took it upon themselves to strike copper tokens for circulation. Now known as Civil War Tokens, these pieces carried an accepted value of one penny and circulated widely until they were made illegal by Congress in April of 1864. Nearly 9,000 Designs Were Passed Off As Legal Tender Prior to that, though, it’s estimated that nearly 9,000 different obverse designs were created, struck and passed off as legal tender. Some featured advertisements on them, while others bore patriotic symbols or sentiments. This token comes dated between 1861 and 1864 and comes in About Uncirculated to Brilliant Uncirculated (AU-BU) condition. Size and design vary. Every design is a fascinating snapshot of life back in the day. Hurry, these won’t last long!