(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-13A-1a, PA

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Wm. Carson, located in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. Wm. Carson issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 13A-1a) is common. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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 6 cataloged varieties, Wm. Carson was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 13A-1a