(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-700B-1a, RH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from the Fuld 700B-1a series, attributed to the unidentified issuer "RH." This token belongs to the Fuld 700 "RH" series, a prolific group of unattributed Civil War store cards. Despite extensive research, the individual or firm behind the "RH" initials remains unidentified. The number of die combinations and metal variants indicates large-scale token production. The copper composition ensured this token closely matched the weight, size, and color of federal Indian Head cents, facilitating acceptance in daily transactions. Although undated, this token was manufactured during the 1862-1864 period when private tokens circulated as emergency currency. New York City produced over half of all Civil War tokens, with additional output from Waterbury, Connecticut (center of the brass industry) and Cincinnati, Ohio.

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 15 cataloged varieties, RH was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 700B-1a