(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-600F-9a, TN

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Stockman & Co. in Memphis, Tennessee, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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 17 cataloged varieties for Stockman & Co. indicate a notable level of token production. This copper striking (Fuld 600F-9a) is common among the known varieties. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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 17 cataloged varieties, Stockman & Co. was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 600F-9a