(1864) Silver Civil War Store Card F-530A-1f, U.S. Sanitary Commission MA

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 530A-1f — store card of Great Fair, Nantucket, Massachusetts. Massachusetts was a center of manufacturing and abolitionist sentiment, with Boston and surrounding cities contributing Civil War tokens as emergency currency. Great Fair issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This silver striking (Fuld 530A-1f) is rare 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. Private tokens entered circulation after the suspension of specie payments in late 1861 drained small change from commerce. The silver composition indicates a piece produced outside the normal commercial run, as a numismatic item. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

Rarity Notes

Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced in small quantities for collectors or as special presentation pieces. With 6 cataloged varieties, Great Fair was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 530A-1f