1863 Civil War Token - Hunting Dogs / Burnside F-146/184j NGC MS65

Gem Unc (10: 3,4,3). German Silver. The classic rarity known as the "Hunting Dogs." This die pairing has the Burnside portrait facing forward. This is a very high relief die and the strike is weak in the center because of this. All examples are this way, so it is not a detrimental factor. This is a very rare (R8) die pair. Only three examples are known, all NGC graded - MS63, MS64 and this example, which is the finest known. The die engraving is attributed to the Rhode Island die sinker, whose identity remains unknown. The fine engraving skill is evident on the attention to details on the dogs. Keep in mind that this was a hand-engraved die. The details were sculpted directly into the die. Impressive in this era, which is known for very shoddy engraving work.