(No Date) Brass Civil War Store Card F-690D-6bo, McKay & Lapsley, Overstk on CWT TN

Coin Details

Description

McKay & Lapsley, Overstk on OH Token, based in Nashville, Tennessee, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Nashville fell to Union forces in February 1862 and served as a critical supply base for the remainder of the war. Merchant tokens from Nashville date to the Union occupation period. The 12 cataloged varieties for McKay & Lapsley, Overstk on OH Token indicate a notable level of token production. This piece is an overstrike struck over a host coin, an 1863 Indian Head cent. Traces of the original design may be visible beneath the new impressions. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. Overstrike varieties are generally scarcer than tokens struck on blank planchets, as they required sourcing and re-striking existing coins. With 12 cataloged varieties, McKay & Lapsley, Overstk on OH Token was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 690D-6bo