(1864) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-100B-14d, Snow Hill WV

Coin Details

Auction Record

$6,600 MS64 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Snow Hill, based in Charleston, West Virginia, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. West Virginia separated from Virginia in 1863 to remain in the Union. Its merchants produced tokens to address the coin shortage in the newly formed state. With 2 known varieties, Snow Hill produced a modest number of token types. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 100B-14d) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 2 cataloged varieties, Snow Hill was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 100B-14d