161 years ago today, the Monitor and the Merrimack square off

One hundred and sixty one years ago navel tactics were changed forever. Two iron clads, the Northern Monitor and the Southern Merrimack, A.K.A. the CSS Virginia fought a pitched battle at Hampton Roads, Virginia.

The battle went on for two days. It was a draw, but actually a win for the Union. The "monster" Virginia had been neutralized.

Here is a token that was issued during the era that commemorated the event.

 

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Love it. Thanks John.

 

One of my biggest regrets selling mine... I know of a silver one but it carries a hefty price tag.
Nice medal.

 

Those two ironclads forevermore changed the way we regard battleships.

 

I have never been that big into the off-metal pieces. I think that they look better in copper.

 

Very nice. This is the first time for me seeing these.

 

Made in copper ,brass and silver according to my references.

 

Ya ever read Sahara? Love the book as well the movie....

 

Here are the Civil War Token (CWT) Monitor tokens. There are more than this with other reverses and in other metals, but all of the obverse dies are represented.

Fuld numbers 237/423



Fuld numbers 238/402. This one of the Indiana Primitive varieties. Henry Higgins, who was from the South Bend area, made these. It is believed that he made the Monitor die by pressing token variety 237 into soft steel. The resulting copy was decent, but it had less detail.



Fuld numbers 238/405. This is another Indiana Primitive variety.



Fuld numbers 239/422. This and the 237 variety were made by the Scoville Company.



Fuld numbers 240/337.



Fuld numbers 241/336. Rusty dies were the rule for these pieces.



Fuld numbers 257/311. I included this one because there is a Monitor in the background. This is a fairly common Civil War token variety, but it's hard to find one with any or very much red on it.



I have a very poor example of the Merrimack variety. It was de-listed as a Civil War token because it was made circa 1905, well after the war. It was made from iron that was recovered from the Merrimack years later.

I "missed the boat" on this one. Decent ones (None are great; it as not well made) used to sell for $1,100. Now they are well over $3,000 and climbing when you can find them.



Here is a variety catalog photo of a decent example.

 

I have never heard of it or seen it.

 

Beautiful coins and now you’ve gone and done it as I want one.

 

Omg you got a real treat ahead of you.....you will absolutely love the book or movie

The movie opens a 161 years ago today. And the two iron clads breaking off entanglement.
And from there on Im not going to kill the story line.

Do you like CSA gold coins? yes ? Just wait...

 

Here's mine

 

This movie has been on demand free on cable channels....

 

Out of curiosity, was anything issued to honor the 150th anniversary? BTW, nice post John.

 

The Indiana Primitives are scarce, but the other varieties are all common, unless you want the off-metals. The trouble is demand, especially for the pieces in Mint State has really driven up the prices. The last I knew the Uncs. were bringing over $100. I used to buy them for $20 to $25.

 

I have one of them but I like the one you posted. I haven’t researched it but I would think the key, so to speak, would be the tokens made from the real ship after it was salvaged. Am I correct?

 

There is a very rare one done with ship artifacts of iron in the ,or on the medal. I need to find an image its a rectangular shape.

 

That is one famous token. Gotta be a top ten in my book