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

Coin Details

Auction Record

$156 AU53BN 05-29-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

R.C. Graves, 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. R.C. Graves issued 7 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This copper striking (Fuld 890D-1a) is common among the known varieties. Undated Civil War tokens like this one circulated alongside dated issues during the 1862-1864 period. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. Token production peaked in 1863 when the coin shortage was most acute, with die sinkers working around the clock to fill merchant orders.

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, R.C. Graves was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 890D-1a