(No Date) Brass Civil War Store Card F-260a-1b, Kelly's Store WV

Coin Details

Auction Record

$660 XF45 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Kelly's Store of 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. This brass striking (Fuld 260a-1b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 1 cataloged varieties, Kelly's Store was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 260a-1b