(1863) Copper Civil War Store Card F-910B-3a, Hallemand's MO

Coin Details

Auction Record

$780 MS63BN 06-23-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Hallemand's of St. Louis issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. St. Louis was the largest city west of the Mississippi and a vital Union stronghold, controlling river commerce and serving as a major military staging area. Hallemand's issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 910B-3a) is common among the known varieties. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Merchants in border states faced particular challenges during the coin shortage, as economic uncertainty and military activity disrupted normal commercial patterns more severely than in the interior. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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 7 cataloged varieties, Hallemand's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 910B-3a