(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-600B-5a, TN

Coin Details

Description

Elliot, Vinson & Co. of Memphis issued this token as emergency currency during the Civil War coin shortage. 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. Elliot, Vinson & Co. produced 21 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 600B-5a) is common. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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 21 cataloged varieties, Elliot, Vinson & Co. was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 600B-5a