(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-765D-1a, PA

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from J.A. Eckert, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania business. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. J.A. Eckert issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 765D-1a) is common for this merchant. Although undated, this token was produced during the 1862-1864 period when federal coins disappeared from commerce. Die sinkers offered merchants a choice of metals, with copper being cheapest and most common, while silver and gold were struck for collectors. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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 5 cataloged varieties, J.A. Eckert was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 765D-1a