(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-720A-1A, MN

Coin Details

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of F.W. Andrews, located in Rochester, Minnesota. 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. F.W. Andrews issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 720A-1A) is common among the known varieties. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. 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. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily commerce.

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, F.W. Andrews was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 720A-1A