(1863) Brass Civil War Store Card F-980B-1b, Coe & Hayden MN

Coin Details

Auction Record

$144 XF Details 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Merchant token from Coe & Hayden of Winona, Minnesota, cataloged as Fuld 980B-1b. Minnesota was a relatively new state (admitted 1858) also dealing with the Dakota War of 1862, yet its merchants issued store cards during the coin shortage. With 2 known varieties, Coe & Hayden produced a modest number of token types. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 980B-1b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

Rarity Notes

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

Cross References

Fuld 980B-1b