(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-890B-1a, WV

Coin Details

Description

John Eckhart, based in Wheeling, West Virginia, produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. West Virginia separated from Virginia in 1863 to remain in the Union. Its merchants produced tokens to address the coin shortage in the newly formed state. John Eckhart issued 5 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 890B-1a) is common among the known varieties. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. 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. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

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 5 cataloged varieties, John Eckhart was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 890B-1a