(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-115B-2a, Dunn & Co's MA

Coin Details

Description

This Civil War token was issued by Dunn & Co's in Massachusetts. Massachusetts was a center of manufacturing and abolitionist sentiment, with Boston and surrounding cities contributing Civil War tokens as emergency currency. Dunn & Co's issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 115B-2a) is common. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. The coin shortage was exacerbated by the simultaneous withdrawal of gold and silver from circulation following the suspension of specie payments in December 1861. 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 5 cataloged varieties, Dunn & Co's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 115B-2a