(1861-65) Civil War Store Card F-320A-5a, H. Wind PA

Coin Details

Description

H. Wind of Pennsylvania produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. With 3 known varieties, H. Wind produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 320A-5a) is common. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

Rarity Notes

Copper strikings are generally the most common metal variant for Civil War store cards, as copper was the standard planchet material mimicking the federal cent. With 3 cataloged varieties, H. Wind was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 320A-5a