(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-690B-4a, TN

Coin Details

Description

Harris & Pearl, a Nashville merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. Nashville fell to Union forces in February 1862 and served as a critical supply base for the remainder of the war. Merchant tokens from Nashville date to the Union occupation period. Harris & Pearl issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 690B-4a) is common. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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, Harris & Pearl was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 690B-4a