(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-60R-1b, M.KCounterstamp MD

Coin Details

Auction Record

$168 G Details 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War store card issued by M.KCounterstamp of Baltimore, Maryland. Maryland was a border state with significant Confederate sympathies, particularly in Baltimore, where merchants issued tokens during the small change shortage. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 60R-1b) is common for this merchant. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. The coin shortage was exacerbated by the simultaneous withdrawal of gold and silver from circulation following the suspension of specie payments in December 1861. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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, M.KCounterstamp was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 60R-1b