(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-890D-5a, 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. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 890D-5a) is common. The absence of a date on this token is standard for the 1862-1864 era, when speed of production mattered more than formality. The dies for merchant tokens were usually cut by professional engravers who could produce a complete set in a matter of days. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

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-5a