Would someone look up this Dix Token Please?

[Big Fang Coin Biter]

Hello,
My buddy Matt's dad found this token in a drawer he was cleaning out. I guess he said they got it in change at one time - then tossed it in the drawer. It is in nice shape. The front reads: The Flag Of Our Union, Back: If Anybody Attempts To Tear It Down, Shoot Him On The Spot. (a quote from Dix). This is the first Dix token I have seen. It is the size of a standard store card or small cent.

Matt would like to know the rarity and value if possible.

Thank you,
BF

 

[Mike Bearden]

During the Civil War, hoarding resulted in a severe shortage of coinage. As a result, merchants began using small cent-size tokens instead. Some had "store cards" custom-made with their name, location, and trade message. Others opted for less expensive "stock" tokens, many of which bore patriotic designs and inscriptions. Yours is one of the best known in that category. Over the years, various explanations have been offered for it: that Dix is simply French for ten... that Dix is an abbreviation of Dixie, etc. However, the real story involves a dispatch sent on January 29, 1861 by John Adams Dix, then Secretary of the Treasury, to a revenue officer in New Orleans, ordering, "If anyone attempts to haul down the American flag, shoot him on the spot!" There are quite a few varieties of the token, including an error which boldly declares, "Shoot Him on the Spoot." (Ouch!) Eventually, the federal government decided that all those millions of privately issued Civil War tokens posed a problem, and they were outlawed by an act of Congress on April 22, 1864. Today, most of the Dix tokens catalog for $15-25 in Fine condition

This came from Western & Eastern Treasures Magazine

Mike

 

[jeff & Maria]

n/t

 

[Big Fang Coin Biter]

Great info Mike. I will pass it on to my friend. I was hoping someone would give me the die numbers and an R rating. I think my buddy Neal has a catalog. Maybe I'll email him.
BF

 

[NealNoIN]

Robin, I think I've got the token matched to the right numbers in the token book. It has Die#410 obverse and Die#207 reverse. Both have R-1 rarity ratings which means: VG=$6, VF=$12, EF=$14 and UNC=$30. R-1 in the Patriotic tokens means 5000 or more in existence. This is from Rulau's 4th edition(2004). Prices should be higher now!
Neal

 

[James N.D.]

So there shouldn't be any doubt on what variety it is. Good Luck and HH in 2009.

 

[Big Fang Coin Biter]

n/t

 

[mikewaz]

Wow!
That sure is an awesome token. I'd love to find one like that with such history behind it.
Mike