(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-220A-2a, John Engel NJ

Coin Details

Auction Record

$144 MS64BN 04-12-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

John Engel of Elizabeth issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. New Jersey was a vital industrial and transportation state, with Newark, Trenton, and Paterson as major manufacturing centers where merchants issued Civil War tokens. John Engel issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 220A-2a) is common for this merchant. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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 5 cataloged varieties, John Engel was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 220A-2a