(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-765F-3a, PA

Coin Details

Description

Store card of W.A. Gildenfenney 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. W.A. Gildenfenney issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 765F-3a) is common. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. Between 1862 and 1864, Northern merchants produced millions of private tokens to compensate for the disappearance of federal coinage. George and Melvin Fuld's catalog remains the standard reference for Civil War tokens, with each variety assigned a unique identification number.

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, W.A. Gildenfenney was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 765F-3a