(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-765N-2a, PA

Coin Details

Description

Pekin Tea Store, a Pittsburgh merchant, issued this Civil War store card during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. 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 composition of this variety (Fuld 765N-2a) is common for this merchant. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Merchants typically ordered tokens from die-sinkers who maintained inventories of patriotic and advertising dies for rapid production. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Collectors classify Civil War tokens by the Fuld numbering system, which catalogs each unique die combination with rarity ratings from R-1 (over 5,000 known) to R-10 (unique).

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 15 cataloged varieties, Pekin Tea Store was a notable token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 765N-2a