(1864) Silver Civil War Store Card F-131A/349Af, Abraham Lincoln

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,800 MS62 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War token cataloged as Fuld 131A/349Af, combining obverse die 131 — a portrait of Abraham Lincoln — with reverse die 349 bearing a portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln tokens are among the most sought-after Civil War issues. Lincoln obverse dies are prized for their direct connection to the wartime president. These tokens served as both emergency currency and portable political endorsements of the Union cause. Struck in silver, a rare composition for Civil War tokens. Silver strikes were typically presentation pieces or special orders rather than circulating currency. The Fuld catalog's Location Unknown section encompasses die combinations that bear no identifiable merchant attribution. These tokens circulated on the strength of their patriotic designs alone. Dated 1864, near the end of the Civil War token era. The introduction of fractional currency and the Act of April 22, 1864 soon made private tokens obsolete.

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 4 cataloged varieties, /K-277b Mule Lincoln-4 Line Rev. was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 131A/349Af