(1863) Civil War Store Card F-115E-1a, Good for a Scent MA

Coin Details

Auction Record

$4,583 MS67BN 05-17-2018 Legend Rare Coin Auctions

Description

Fuld 115E-1a — store card of Jos. H. Merriam, Boston, Massachusetts. Massachusetts was a center of manufacturing and abolitionist sentiment, with Boston and surrounding cities contributing Civil War tokens as emergency currency. Jos. H. Merriam issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 115E-1a) is common among the known varieties. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Some token dies were used so extensively that late strikes show significant die wear, providing collectors with a chronological sequence of the production run from fresh to deteriorated states. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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 6 cataloged varieties, Jos. H. Merriam was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 115E-1a