View All Civil War Store Cards - Location Unknown

(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-NL-5a

Strike Type

Coin Details

Denomination

Store Cards

Strike Type

Regular Strike

Series

Civil War Store Cards

Designer

Various private die sinkers including John Stanton, William Bridgens, and others

Composition

Copper

Weight

4.67g

Diameter

19mm

Edge

Plain

Description

Civil War store card cataloged as Fuld NL-5a in the Location Unknown section. This token is listed as "NL" (not listed) in the Fuld store card reference: it was not in the edition used to catalog it. Struck in copper, the standard metal for Civil War tokens chosen because cent-sized copper pieces passed as substitute federal cents in everyday commerce. This undated piece was produced circa 1862-1864 during the wartime coin shortage. Civil War tokens circulated as emergency cent substitutes throughout the Northern states during 1862-1864, filling the gap left by hoarded federal coinage. Civil War tokens circulated freely throughout the Northern states from mid-1862 through 1864. Merchants accepted them alongside genuine federal cents, and many show heavy wear from commerce.