(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-890F-2a, J.W.C. Smith WV

Coin Details

Auction Record

$192 AU58BN 05-29-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

This Civil War token was issued by J.W.C. Smith, operating in Wheeling, West Virginia. West Virginia separated from Virginia in 1863 to remain in the Union. Its merchants produced tokens to address the coin shortage in the newly formed state. With 2 known varieties, J.W.C. Smith produced a modest number of token types. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 890F-2a) is common. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. Surviving specimens are tangible artifacts of the wartime monetary crisis that affected every commercial transaction in the Northern states.

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 2 cataloged varieties, J.W.C. Smith was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 890F-2a