(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-690B-1a, Harris & Pearl TN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Harris & Pearl of Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville fell to Union forces in February 1862 and served as a critical supply base for the remainder of the war. Merchant tokens from Nashville date to the Union occupation period. Harris & Pearl issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 690B-1a) is common for this merchant. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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, Harris & Pearl was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 690B-1a