(1861-65) Brass Civil War Store Card F-600B-2b, Elliot, Vinson & Co. TN

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,680 MS64 04-15-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Elliot, Vinson & Co., based in Memphis, Tennessee, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Tennessee was divided during the Civil War. Nashville fell to Union forces in 1862, and merchants in Union-controlled areas issued tokens as emergency small change. Elliot, Vinson & Co. produced 21 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. This brass striking (Fuld 600B-2b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 21 cataloged varieties, Elliot, Vinson & Co. was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 600B-2b