(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-680A-2A, MN

Coin Details

Description

Ni A.W.E., based in Red Wing, Minnesota, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Minnesota was a relatively new state (admitted 1858) also dealing with the Dakota War of 1862, yet its merchants issued store cards during the coin shortage. Ni A.W.E. issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 680A-2A) is common for this merchant. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens.

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 9 cataloged varieties, Ni A.W.E. was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 680A-2A