(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-765N-12d, PA

Coin Details

Description

Fuld 765N-12d — store card of Pekin Tea Store, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. The 15 cataloged varieties for Pekin Tea Store indicate a notable level of token production. The copper-nickel composition of this variety (Fuld 765N-12d) is somewhat scarce for this merchant. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. The token trade was competitive, with die sinkers in New York, Cincinnati, and other cities vying for merchant orders across the region. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. 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 15 cataloged varieties, Pekin Tea Store was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 765N-12d