(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-700C-4d, RH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from the Fuld 700C-4d 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-nickel alloy matches the federal cent composition, making this a somewhat scarce variant among Civil War token issues. The absence of a date is common for Civil War tokens, which were produced during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute. The federal government's response to the coin shortage included issuing fractional currency in denominations as small as three cents, but these paper notes wore out quickly and were unpopular with merchants. Americans had hoarded federal coins since the suspension of specie payments in December 1861.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 19 cataloged varieties, RH was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 700C-4d