(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-890D-2b, WV

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by R.C. Graves of Wheeling, West Virginia. 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. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 890D-2b) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. Token production was a specialized trade — die sinkers maintained catalogs of stock dies that merchants could pair with custom obverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Brass planchets were readily available to die sinkers, making this a relatively accessible metal variant for collectors.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 7 cataloged varieties, R.C. Graves was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 890D-2b