(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-13F-2a, PA

Coin Details

Description

John Sherer, an Allegheny merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. The 12 cataloged varieties for John Sherer indicate a notable level of token production. This copper striking (Fuld 13F-2a) is common among the known varieties. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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 12 cataloged varieties, John Sherer was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 13F-2a