(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-765M-2a, Henry Miner PA

Coin Details

Auction Record

$120 MS63BN 04-26-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Henry Miner, a Pittsburgh merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. Henry Miner issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 765M-2a) is common for this merchant. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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, Henry Miner was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 765M-2a