(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-970A-1b, Charles Lang MA

Coin Details

Auction Record

$456 MS66 09-30-2020 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War store card issued by Charles Lang of Worcester, Massachusetts. Massachusetts was a center of manufacturing and abolitionist sentiment, with Boston and surrounding cities contributing Civil War tokens as emergency currency. With 2 known varieties, Charles Lang produced a modest number of token types. Struck in brass, this die combination (Fuld 970A-1b) is common to somewhat scarce. 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. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 2 cataloged varieties, Charles Lang was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 970A-1b