(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-910C-3A, MO

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Henry Jenkins, a St. Louis, Missouri business. St. Louis was the largest city west of the Mississippi and a vital Union stronghold, controlling river commerce and serving as a major military staging area. With 3 known varieties, Henry Jenkins produced a modest number of token types. This copper striking (Fuld 910C-3A) is common among the known varieties. No date appears on this token, consistent with the rapid production practices of the 1862-1864 Civil War token boom. Each unique combination of obverse and reverse dies constitutes a separate Fuld catalog number, even when struck in the same metal. The Civil War small change crisis generated the largest private coinage movement in American history, with merchants and die sinkers producing tokens for circulation. The cent-sized format was chosen deliberately to match the federal Indian Head cent, the coin most conspicuously absent from daily 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 3 cataloged varieties, Henry Jenkins was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 910C-3A