(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-115E-1D, MA

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Jos. H. Merriam in Boston, Massachusetts, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Massachusetts was a center of manufacturing and abolitionist sentiment, with Boston and surrounding cities contributing Civil War tokens as emergency currency. Jos. H. Merriam issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper-nickel striking (Fuld 115E-1D) is somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 6 cataloged varieties, Jos. H. Merriam was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 115E-1D