(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-555C-12A, NJ

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Newark, New Jersey, cataloged as Fuld 555C-12A. New Jersey was a vital industrial and transportation state, with Newark, Trenton, and Paterson as major manufacturing centers where merchants issued Civil War tokens. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 555C-12A) is common. 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. 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 38 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 555C-12A