(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-765E-7d, PA

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by Jos. Fleming of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 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. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 765E-7d) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Merchant-issued tokens circulated as substitutes for scarce federal coinage throughout the Northern states between 1862 and 1864. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 9 cataloged varieties, Jos. Fleming was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 765E-7d