(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-6D/310, Army & Navy

Coin Details

Auction Record

$69 XF45BN 02-02-2022 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War token cataloged as Fuld 6D/310, combining obverse die 6 — a French-style Liberty head facing left surrounded by thirteen stars — with reverse die 310 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 obverse belongs to the largest die family in the Civil War token series. The classical design echoed contemporary French coins and medals. 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. 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 6D/310