(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-20A-2a, Smick's NJ

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 20A-2a — store card of Thin Plan Smick's, Atlantic, New Jersey. New Jersey was a vital industrial and transportation state, with Newark, Trenton, and Paterson as major manufacturing centers where merchants issued Civil War tokens. With 2 known varieties, Thin Plan Smick's produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 20A-2a) is common. 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. Merchants who issued tokens during the Civil War provided a critical public service by maintaining the ability to make change for routine purchases at a time when federal coinage had nearly vanished from everyday commerce. 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 2 cataloged varieties, Thin Plan Smick's was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 20A-2a