(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-145A-2a, Bingham & Jarvis NY

Coin Details

Description

Bingham & Jarvis of New York issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Bingham & Jarvis operated a drugstore in New York selling drugs, medicines, paints, and oils — a typical combination for 1860s apothecaries. Their tokens date from 1861, making them among the earliest Civil War merchant issues. This copper striking (Fuld 145A-2a) is common among the known varieties. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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 21 cataloged varieties, Bingham & Jarvis was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 145A-2a