(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-765E-6a, PA

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Jos. Fleming in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. Jos. Fleming issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 765E-6a) is common. This undated token was struck circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. Over 25 million Civil War tokens were produced before Congress ended private coinage in April 1864, making them the largest private coinage movement in American history.

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 9 cataloged varieties, Jos. Fleming was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 765E-6a