(1863) White Metal Civil War Store Card F-580A-1e, Pfeiffer & Co. VA

Coin Details

Description

Pfeiffer & Co. of Virginia issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Civil War store cards from Virginia are extremely rare, as most of the state was under Confederate control. Tokens originated from Union-held areas like Norfolk or Alexandria. With 2 known varieties, Pfeiffer & Co. produced a modest number of token types. The white metal composition of this variety (Fuld 580A-1e) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. White metal (a tin-based alloy) pieces are scarcer than copper and often show significant wear from their soft composition.

Rarity Notes

White metal (tin alloy) strikings are less common than copper or brass versions and tend to show more wear due to the softness of the alloy. With 2 cataloged varieties, Pfeiffer & Co. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 580A-1e