(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-640B-1A, KY

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 640B-1A — store card of N'PT & COV, Newport, Kentucky. Kentucky was a critical border state maintaining Union loyalty while deeply divided. Louisville served as a major supply depot and source of merchant tokens. N'PT & COV issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 640B-1A) is common. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. 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 7 cataloged varieties, N'PT & COV was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 640B-1A