(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-393a, Full Brockage Good For 1 Cent

Coin Details

Auction Record

$897 MS65BN 09-27-2021 eBay

Description

Civil War token cataloged as Fuld 393a, featuring obverse die 393 — a "GOOD FOR ONE CENT" design — with the denomination "GOOD FOR ONE CENT". Stating a one-cent value made the token more readily accepted in commerce. Civil War tokens were privately struck cent-sized pieces that circulated as emergency currency during 1862-1864, when wartime hoarding drained federal coinage from commerce. This token bears no merchant identification; its dies were paired speculatively by die sinkers for sale to the general public rather than commissioned by a specific merchant. Struck in copper, the standard metal for Civil War tokens chosen because cent-sized copper pieces passed as substitute federal cents in everyday commerce. Dated 1861-65, encompassing the primary period of Civil War token production. Collectors value these pieces as tangible evidence of wartime commerce and the ingenuity of American merchants during the Civil War.

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 1 cataloged varieties, Full Brockage Good For 1 Cent was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 393a