(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-600C-2d, TN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Memphis, Tennessee, cataloged as Fuld 600C-2d. 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. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 600C-2d) is somewhat scarce. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce, resembling the federal Indian Head cent in both size and color. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 2 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 600C-2d