(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-7A/316a, Army & Navy

Coin Details

Auction Record

$64 MS61BN 09-30-2020 Heritage Auctions

Description

Civil War token cataloged as Fuld 7A/316a, combining obverse die 7 — a French-style Liberty head facing left surrounded by thirteen stars — with reverse die 316 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. French Liberty head dies were produced in greater quantity than any other obverse family. The neoclassical bust of Liberty lent an air of official authority to privately manufactured tokens. Produced in copper, the dominant metal of Civil War token production. Copper tokens survive in greater numbers than any other composition, reflecting their enormous production volumes. The Fuld catalog's Location Unknown section encompasses die combinations that bear no identifiable merchant attribution. These tokens circulated on the strength of their patriotic designs alone. 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 7A/316a