(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-890B-5a, WV

Coin Details

Description

Merchant token from John Eckhart of Wheeling, West Virginia, cataloged as Fuld 890B-5a. 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. The copper composition of this variety (Fuld 890B-5a) is common for this merchant. Civil War tokens rarely bear dates. This piece was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage, when merchants needed emergency small change. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. The Fuld catalog documents thousands of distinct die combinations for Civil War store cards, making this one of the most complex series in American numismatics.

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-5a