(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-600A-7b, TN

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from Cossitt Hill & Co. of Memphis, Tennessee, cataloged as Fuld 600A-7b. Tennessee was divided during the Civil War. Nashville fell to Union forces in 1862, and merchants in Union-controlled areas issued tokens as emergency small change. The 16 cataloged varieties for Cossitt Hill & Co. indicate a notable level of token production. This brass striking (Fuld 600A-7b) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. 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 16 cataloged varieties, Cossitt Hill & Co. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 600A-7b