(No Date) Brass Civil War Store Card F-600A-5b, Cossitt Hill & Co. TN

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Cossitt Hill & Co. of Memphis, Tennessee, cataloged as Fuld 600A-5b. Tennessee was divided during the Civil War. Nashville fell to Union forces in 1862, and merchants in Union-controlled areas issued tokens as emergency small change. The 16 cataloged varieties for Cossitt Hill & Co. indicate a notable level of token production. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 600A-5b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. Brass strikings are among the more available variants, though less common than copper.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 16 cataloged varieties, Cossitt Hill & Co. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 600A-5b