(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-60W-1b, Mount Vernon Club MD

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,100 MS62 11-21-2022 eBay

Description

Civil War-era store card from Mount Vernon Club, a Baltimore, Maryland business. Maryland was a border state with significant Confederate sympathies, particularly in Baltimore, where merchants issued tokens during the small change shortage. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 60W-1b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 1 cataloged varieties, Mount Vernon Club was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 60W-1b