(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-200A-3a, Dunn & Co's MA

Coin Details

Description

Dunn & COs, a Charlestwn merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Massachusetts was a center of manufacturing and abolitionist sentiment, with Boston and surrounding cities contributing Civil War tokens as emergency currency. Dunn & COs issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 200A-3a) is common among the known varieties. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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 & COs was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 200A-3a