(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-690D-9b, TN

Coin Details

Description

Store card of McKay & Lapsley, Overstk on OH Token in Nashville, Tennessee, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. 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. The 12 cataloged varieties for McKay & Lapsley, Overstk on OH Token indicate a notable level of token production. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 690D-9b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. 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. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 12 cataloged varieties, McKay & Lapsley, Overstk on OH Token was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 690D-9b