(1854-57) Token Miller SC-2 Copper Bernard S. Baruc

Coin Details

Description

Bernard S. Baruc was a South Carolina merchant whose copper token (Miller SC-2) dates to the mid-1850s. The Baruc family (also spelled Baruch) was prominent in South Carolina's Sephardic Jewish community, which had deep roots in Charleston dating back to the colonial era. Bernard M. Baruch, the famous financier and presidential advisor, was a descendant of this South Carolina Jewish merchant family. The copper composition provided excellent durability for everyday handling. Merchant tokens in copper circulated freely alongside federal cents, and the familiar reddish-brown metal ensured ready acceptance in local commerce. Cataloged as Miller SC-2 in the standard reference for American merchant tokens. Pre-Civil War merchant tokens circulated during a period of chronic small change shortages, when copper tokens filled an essential gap in the American monetary system. Authentication of merchant store cards relies on die characteristics, metal analysis, and provenance, as counterfeits of the rarest varieties exist.

Rarity Notes

Copper striking, the standard metal for merchant tokens of this period. Miller SC-2.

Cross References

Miller SC-2