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

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of Elliot, Vinson & Co., located in Memphis, Tennessee. 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. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 600B-5b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. 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. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 21 cataloged varieties, Elliot, Vinson & Co. was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 600B-5b