(1861-65) Copper Civil War Store Card F-600F-5a, Stockman & Co. TN

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Stockman & Co. of Memphis, Tennessee, cataloged as Fuld 600F-5a. Tennessee was divided during the Civil War. Nashville fell to Union forces in 1862, and merchants in Union-controlled areas issued tokens as emergency small change. The 17 cataloged varieties for Stockman & Co. indicate a notable level of token production. This copper striking (Fuld 600F-5a) is common among the known varieties. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. 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 17 cataloged varieties, Stockman & Co. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 600F-5a