(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-750A-9D, MD

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card from Maryland, cataloged as Fuld 750A-9D. Maryland was a border state with significant Confederate sympathies, particularly in Baltimore, where merchants issued tokens during the small change shortage. This copper-nickel striking (Fuld 750A-9D) is somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. Many Civil War tokens survive in high grades because merchants and the public saved them as novelties, resulting in a better average preservation than contemporary federal coins.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 11 cataloged varieties, this merchant was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 750A-9D