(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-555A-8a, J.L. Agens & Co. NJ

Coin Details

Auction Record

$132 MS65BN 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

This Civil War token was issued by J.L. Agens & Co, operating in Newark, New Jersey. New Jersey was a vital industrial and transportation state, with Newark, Trenton, and Paterson as major manufacturing centers where merchants issued Civil War tokens. The 18 cataloged varieties for J.L. Agens & Co indicate a notable level of token production. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 555A-8a) is common. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 18 cataloged varieties, J.L. Agens & Co was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 555A-8a