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

Coin Details

Auction Record

$780 MS63BN 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War-era store card from Coe & Hayden, a Winona, Minnesota business. 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. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 980B-1a) is common. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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 2 cataloged varieties, Coe & Hayden was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 980B-1a