(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-13D-1b, PA

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from City Tea House of Allegheny, Pennsylvania, cataloged as Fuld 13D-1b. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. City Tea House issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 13D-1b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. 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 7 cataloged varieties, City Tea House was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 13D-1b