(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-115B-3A, MA

Coin Details

Description

Dunn & Co's of Massachusetts issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War. Massachusetts was a center of manufacturing and abolitionist sentiment, with Boston and surrounding cities contributing Civil War tokens as emergency currency. Dunn & Co's issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 115B-3A) is common. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The token era ended when Congress authorized new federal small-denomination currency and criminalized private token production in 1864. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

Rarity Notes

Copper strikings are generally the most common metal variant for Civil War store cards, as copper was the standard planchet material mimicking the federal cent. With 5 cataloged varieties, Dunn & Co's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 115B-3A