(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-6B/308, Army & Navy

Coin Details

Description

Civil War token cataloged as Fuld 6B/308, combining obverse die 6 — a French-style Liberty head facing left surrounded by thirteen stars — with reverse die 308 bearing the inscription "ARMY & NAVY" within a laurel wreath. This tribute to the Union military was one of the most popular reverse legends on Civil War tokens. The French Liberty head was the most prolific obverse die family for Civil War tokens, with nearly thirty die varieties produced by manufacturers primarily in New York City. Struck in copper, the standard metal for Civil War tokens chosen because cent-sized copper pieces passed as substitute federal cents in everyday commerce. Without merchant identification on the dies, this token cannot be attributed to a specific issuer or location. Location Unknown store cards represent speculative die pairings produced for general circulation. 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, Army & Navy was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 6B/308