The Franklin Mint made several editions of luxury board games, but none is as rare and storied as the Civil War edition version of Stratego.  The edition was produced in the mid-1990s but never officially released due to some last-minute licensing issues with Hasbro.  One edition of the game had been sent to each of the Franklin Mint's 30 retail locations for display, and it is believed that these are the only surviving examples of this set.  This is certainly consistent with the frequency that this set is offered for sale.  In the past four years, only three sets have been seen for sale on eBay!  Because it had never been officially released, it doesn't feature some elements typically found in other Franklin Mint games such as a certificate of authenticity.

The game features a wood-framed game board depicting a battleground with minature gold-plated decorations set underneath glass.  On each side of the board are a set of coins indicating which Civil War hero is displayed on the corresponding pieces.  The game board contains drawers which open up to house the gold and silver plated pieces.  The set features decorative gold-plated pieces to depict the North and silver-plated pieces to depict the South:

The North army commemorates the following heroes:

• #1 Marshal: Abraham Lincoln
• #2 General: Ulyssess S. Grant
• #3 Colonel: George Meade
• #4 Major: Joseph Booker
• #5 Captain: George McClellan
• #6 Lieutenant: Ambrose Burnside
• #7 Sargent: William Sherman
• #8 Miner: John Gibbon
• #9 Scout: George Custer
• Spy: Philip Sheridan

While the Southern army commemorates the following heroes:

• #1 Marshal: Jefferson Davis
• #2 General: Robert E Lee
• #3 Colonel: Stonewall Jackson
• #4 Major: John Bell Hood
• #5 Captain: James Longstreet
• #6 Lieutenant: Ambrose Hill
• #7 Sargent: George Pickett
• #8 Miner: Louis Armistead
• #9 Scout: John Hunt Morgan
• Spy: Jeb Stuart

The booklet contains a history of the game and rules, complete with a picture of the set:

This set is definitely one that would add a touch of class to any classic board game or Civil War collection.  Because of the scarity of this set, it is difficult to assign a value to the set, but if you can afford it, don't let it slip away if you see it offered for sale!