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Message:: [QUOTE="cwtokenman, post: 318845, member: 2100"]To expound upon this fact a bit, it wasn't until 1854 that U.S. currency came into regular use in New York City (other than the cent and half cent). New York journalists often quoted the prices of meals and lodging in shillings and pence, just as many establishments did on their menus. These were "New York shillings", not British shillings, which were in actuality a Spanish real (one eigth of a Spanish dollar). The "pence" were actually U.S. cents and half cents, about equal in size to a British halfpenny and farthing, but double their worth in New York money. An interesting account of this system can be found in "Writing New York", published by the Library of America and researched by ANS associates John Kleeburg and Michael Bates in connection with the 2001 exhibit "Money in Old New York". A lunch of "rosebeef and taters" cost one shilling (12 1/2 cents), but ordering extras (bread and a pat of butter were sixpence each) would quickly run up the bill. As far as the OP's question, I would go back to the Civil War era, look up John Marr and Peter Mossin's engraving shop at 8 Wisconsin Street in Milwaukee, and have them design a special Civil War token just for me, and have the only specimen struck in gold.[/QUOTE]