(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-480B-3B, KY

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from John W. Lee, a Lexington, Kentucky business. Kentucky was a critical border state maintaining Union loyalty while deeply divided. Louisville served as a major supply depot and source of merchant tokens. The 18 cataloged varieties for John W. Lee indicate a notable level of token production. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 480B-3B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. The brass composition gives this token a warm golden tone that contrasts with the reddish-brown of copper strikings.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 18 cataloged varieties, John W. Lee was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 480B-3B