(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-253, /VEGAa Yngenio Ecuador

Coin Details

Description

Civil War token cataloged as Fuld 253, featuring obverse die 253 — a design inscribed "KNICKERBOCKER CURRENCY" or similar commercial theme — with a design featuring "/VEGAa Yngenio Ecuador". Civil War tokens were privately struck cent-sized pieces that circulated as emergency currency during 1862-1864, when wartime hoarding drained federal coinage from commerce. Without merchant identification on the dies, this token cannot be attributed to a specific issuer or location. Location Unknown store cards represent speculative die pairings produced for general circulation. The copper composition ensured this token closely matched the weight, size, and color of federal Indian Head cents, facilitating acceptance in daily transactions. Bearing the date 1864. Congress outlawed private token production in April 1864, making late-dated pieces among the last Civil War tokens manufactured.

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 1 cataloged varieties, /VEGAa Yngenio Ecuador was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 253