(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-137B/479Aa, Martin Van Buren

Coin Details

Description

Civil War token cataloged as Fuld 137B/479Aa, combining obverse die 137 — a portrait of Andrew Jackson — with reverse die 479 bearing a portrait of Martin Van Buren. These privately manufactured tokens served as emergency coinage throughout the Northern states from 1862 to 1864, an entrepreneurial response to the wartime disappearance of federal small change. Copper was preferred for token production because its properties matched the federal cent specification closely enough that these pieces passed freely in commerce during 1862-1864. Cataloged under "Location Unknown" in the Fuld reference because the die combination carries no merchant or geographic attribution. Dated 1863, the peak year of Civil War token production when the coin shortage was most acute. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination. Rarity ratings range 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 1 cataloged varieties, Martin Van Buren was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 137B/479Aa