(No Date) Brass Civil War Store Card F-680A-2b, A.W.E. Red Wing MN

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,880 MS64 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Ni A.W.E., a Red Wing merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Minnesota was a relatively new state (admitted 1858) also dealing with the Dakota War of 1862, yet its merchants issued store cards during the coin shortage. Ni A.W.E. issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This brass striking (Fuld 680A-2b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. 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 9 cataloged varieties, Ni A.W.E. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 680A-2b