(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-765E-4a, Jos. Fleming PA

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Jos. Fleming of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. Jos. Fleming issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 765E-4a) is common for this merchant. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. 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 9 cataloged varieties, Jos. Fleming was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 765E-4a