(1864) Copper Civil War Store Card F-700I-1a, F.W. Shattuck RI

Coin Details

Description

F.W. Shattuck of Providence issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. Providence was an important manufacturing center, particularly in textiles and jewelry. The city's merchants issued Civil War tokens to maintain daily commerce. With 2 known varieties, F.W. Shattuck produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 700I-1a) is common among the known varieties. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

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 2 cataloged varieties, F.W. Shattuck was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 700I-1a