(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-102A/345Aa, Union

Coin Details

Description

Civil War token cataloged as Fuld 102A/345Aa, combining obverse die 102 — a bust of George Washington invoking the founding ideals of the republic — with reverse die 345 bearing the inscription "UNION". Washington obverse dies connected the Union cause to the nation's founding. The first president's portrait reminded Northerners that the republic was worth fighting to preserve. The copper composition ensured this token closely matched the weight, size, and color of federal Indian Head cents, facilitating acceptance in daily transactions. The Fuld catalog's Location Unknown section encompasses die combinations that bear no identifiable merchant attribution. These tokens circulated on the strength of their patriotic designs alone. Dated 1863, the peak year of Civil War token production when the coin shortage was most acute.

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 1 cataloged varieties, Union was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 102A/345Aa